Analysis Nitrogen mood
Does the decor also change the game in nitrogen consultation?
While the setting for nitrogen consultations between farmers and government is changing considerably, Johan Remkes is busy getting his findings down on paper. And although the official consultation of parties has stopped, he is still being fed.
The date and place of publication have still not been determined, according to his spokesperson, but delivery seems to be towards the end of September.
It is clear that Remkes will not offer the report to Mark Rutte, for example. "You might say: it is offered to the Dutch people," the spokesperson suggests.
For the farmers' organizations it is now a matter of waiting and keeping the ranks closed. Last Monday, the so-called G8 reunited and an attempt was made to get everyone behind an approach drawn up by Agractie. The G8 are the eight large farmers' organizations with 'real' farmers as members, as distinct from the hybrid and partly externally sponsored clubs. The question is whether it will be possible to keep the ranks closed.
Refreshed team Rutte
They now mainly have to show who they are to Prime Minister Rutte and his refreshed team. Everything showed this week that Carola Schouten, as a returnee to LNV, was immediately well read. It is therefore suggested from various quarters that she must have been in the wings at Staghouwer for much longer. After all, she is also deputy prime minister on behalf of the ChristenUnie.
Minister Christianne van der Wal continues to stick to her policy commitment, but according to agricultural consultation partners, she has become more approachable since Staghouwer's departure.
The relationships within the cabinet and everyone's attitude will certainly have been evaluated. It will also have to do with the decision of the Council of State about low-emission barns, which unintentionally also concerned the Aerius model. That has also become clear to the government.
Regional ceilings
Whether Aerius falls or not, the work on emissions reduction will continue, but with the help of regional ceilings and emission banks, it is expected. This is moreover easier to achieve for agriculture than for Schiphol. Its emissions do not fit in anywhere.
Behind the scenes, these and other matters are being discussed further with a multitude of parties, with the cabinet, but also with various parliamentary groups. The result of this, after and including Remkes' report, should lead to further decision-making.
This week a summary of a nitrogen report was also circulated by De Nieuwe Denktank, an organization of a number of (former) CDA members that presents itself as the political center. The research focused in particular on unraveling the nitrogen policy of Rutte 3 and 4. We are still waiting for the complete report to be published at the end of September.
Counter-productive models
According to the club, the report outlines 'how counterproductive the wrong use of models can be and how the Netherlands, by being the only one in Europe to turn a risk indicator into a policy objective (KDW), is creating a living environment that no one has chosen and that actually does. nobody wants. And that it is precisely those whose interests politicians say they stand up for, such as farmers who close cycles, farmers who reduce their emissions and footprint through innovations or engage in agricultural nature management and small family and family businesses, will eventually disappear.' The New Think Tank wants to get involved in the public debate with this in the coming months.
Klaas van der Horst
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