Mesdag fund wants to stop new manure policy

The Mesdag-Zuivelfonds Foundation calls on MPs not to discuss a new manure policy any further. The foundation first wants to research the ecological standards of surface waters. 

The House of Representatives will debate the future manure policy and the implementation of the 18th Nitrate Directive Action Program on 6 May. 

Good quality ground and surface water
The starting point of the new manure policy is an ecologically good quality of ground and surface water. The Mesdag Fund says it has indications that the governments are handling the standards for groundwater and surface water too differently. 

Local authorities would regularly impose higher nature targets on agriculture and horticulture than on nature reserves. 

Much stricter standards
For example, the water boards in the western Netherlands apply much stricter standards than the national guideline. Various water boards require a higher nutrient standard for agricultural and horticultural areas than for the nature reserves themselves. This would also apply to the 13 Natura 2000 areas. The ecological targets for these areas are lighter than the national target standard. 

Bizarre
The Mesdag Fund calls this a bizarre and undesirable situation. The foundation calls on the House of Representatives not to enter into a debate earlier, but to first obtain clarity about the standards for ground and surface water in the Netherlands. According to the foundation, there is also insufficient insight into the reasons why the water quality has not improved for about 10 years. Despite the fact that about 30 percent less manure, both nitrogen and phosphate, ends up on the land. 

Correct application of the standards is crucial for Dutch manure policy. Based on the stricter standards for farm drainage, the PBL and the Dutch government (Ministry of I&M) report to Brussels that agriculture exceeds the standards. In natural waters there is also a smaller exceedance.

Huge task
The reason for the call is the debate on 18 May. The report of the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) 'Evaluation of the Fertilizers Act', which was published last month, also has an influence. That report describes that the manure policy has not been effective enough for years. The PBL indicates that for a number of areas in the Netherlands there is a considerable task for agriculture and horticulture to improve water quality. 

The board of the foundation consists of Jan Cees Vogelaar, Lubbert van Dellen and dairy farmer Jan Eggenkamp. They mainly focus on supporting projects that improve the quality of milk and the quality of the entire livestock farming system.

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