Clarity about new derogation only at the end of 2019

For this year 17.904 dairy farms have applied for a derogation for broader manure standards. This is what Minister Carola Schouten (Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality) writes in a letter to Parliament. Dairy farmers will probably only hear in December whether the derogation will be extended.

Schouten says that the final number of derogation farms will probably be higher, because in the run-up to the deadline of January 31, 2019 technical issues were at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl). She reports that this concerns several dozen dairy farmers. Dairy farmers are warned to strictly observe the derogation rules; in the event of a violation, dairy farmers can be excluded from derogation for the first time this year, in addition to the regular fine.

Extension of derogation
Schouten also writes that she is working on an extension of the derogation. The current form of derogation was last year April granted for the period from 2018 to 2020, on the condition that Schouten would start drawing up the enhanced enforcement strategy. She already indicated in November that she is committed to an extension of 2 years, with the conditions as they currently apply.

The minister says that an extension probably depends on the new enforcement strategy. According to Schouten, the sector plan to combat manure fraud also plays an important role in obtaining the green light from the European Commission. She will present the results of the strategy (together with the report on water quality on derogation farms) to the European Commission and the House of Representatives in the course of the second quarter. The Nitrate Committee will then consider this proposal in December 2019.

Extension is delayed
The decision for a possible extension of the derogation cannot be brought forward. Schouten indicates that decision-making can only take place once the new European Commission has been installed. This will happen in November, after the European elections at the end of May. She thinks that dairy farmers will only hear at the end of 2019 whether they can count on derogation in the years that follow. 

Wouter Job

Wouter Baan is editor-in-chief of Boerenbusiness. He also focuses on dairy, pig and meat markets. He also follows (business) developments within agribusiness and interviews CEOs and policymakers.

w.baan@boerenbusiness. Nl

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