'Billions for nature and buying up farmers'

The cabinet wants to allocate a total of €10 billion over the next 5 years for improving nature and expanding nature reserves. Including buying up farms. In this way, nitrogen emissions must be significantly reduced.

Various media report this, including The Telegraph, which is based on 'The Hague sources'. For nature restoration, this involves approximately €300 million per year. For nitrogen reduction, which includes buying up agricultural companies, approximately €200 million per year. Money will also be made available for making agricultural companies that are able and willing to continue farming.

According to the newspaper, the dots will be put on the i this week for the nitrogen plans, for which a 'significant amount' will be allocated in the coming spring memorandum. The cabinet wants to connect Natura2000 areas with each other. This means that these areas need to be expanded. For the time being, there is no agreement to delete small-scale nature reserves. The European rules for being allowed to do this are very rigid.

Add temporary nitrogen gains
A number of nitrogen targets are laid down in a special law. Strikingly, the cabinet is looking at whether the current reduction in nitrogen emissions due to the intelligent lockdown as a result of the corona crisis can still be tackled. This was previously considered legally impossible, which was also communicated to the Agricultural Collective, among others. It is now being examined whether this temporary nitrogen gain can be used to permit temporary emissions, including for housing. 

Other sectors, such as industry, aviation and shipping, are also reportedly included in the new nitrogen package.

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