Politics

The cabinet is removing the critical deposition value (KDW) from the law and replacing the nitrogen targets in the Environment Act with emission targets. These targets will be laid down in a legally mandated program that will also include measures to meet them. The Cabinet approved this today. 

Since the Schoof cabinet fell, but not all subjects were declared controversial, and it will still take some time before new policy can really be introduced, a strange resignation fog has hung over politics. Some politicians are still trying to bring a political 'baby' into the world, while elsewhere discussions are quietly continuing in the hope of another partial agreement.

There is still a week to go until the summer recess of the House of Representatives, but in the past week the last major agricultural topics seem to have been discussed. There were votes on a series of motions on nitrogen and nature policy and sector organizations signed a covenant on animal-friendly livestock farming with Femke Minister Wiersma.

The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) visited the home of Gelderland deputy Harald Zoet in the night from Wednesday to Thursday and defaced his yard with texts. This was reported by activist site Indymedia.

Ministers who sit in government like a cancer. What is wrong with the nitrogen debate, and with the entire political debate in the Netherlands. Then there are also members of parliament who want to deny a democratic society the right to self-defense in their fight against fundamentalist dictatorships. But that last one is of course outside the agricultural debate.

The Agro-intimidation reporting centre for threats, intimidation and bullying of farmers has received around a hundred reports in the five months of its existence, says Helma Lodders, chair of Vee & Logistiek Nederland. It is important to report, even if a complaint has already been filed, she indicates. The reporting centre wants to show the seriousness of the situation and thus convey more urgency to politicians. 

'It is absolutely unacceptable that farmers or others are faced with threats and intimidation from activists and extremists who want to make a point.' This is what outgoing Minister of Justice and Security David van Weel (VVD) said when asked in response to the call from industry organizations in the livestock farming sector to take action against extremist activists. 'Use of violence and other punishable expressions that endanger others or public order crosses all boundaries.'

Minister Femke Wiersma is angry about the fall of the Schoof cabinet. She calls it 'very disappointing' and even 'reprehensible'. The agricultural organisations are also disappointed and for once unanimous. Yet a fallen cabinet is by no means gone or played out.

The Dutch livestock industry can meet the emission reduction target in the coming years up to and including 2035, if it uses the innovations that are now known and focuses on the best available techniques. What's more, it can be done while maintaining animal numbers. It does cost around €8 billion in total, but that is less than many other solutions. Finally forming a united front towards the government is also very necessary.

Changing course to tackle a problem that has been nagging for years differently is not something that can count on applause in advance, let alone approval. Worn paths often run deep. This became clear again on Thursday during the afternoon and evening-long House of Representatives debate on the government's nitrogen plans.

Wolf GW4655, who may have a problem with his aggression regulation and who also can't help it that he (if he really is) bites runners and others on the Hoge Veluwe, that wolf is not a bloodthirsty predator. In essence he is a hardworking father, who survives in an area threatened by nitrogen and has a large family with hungry children to feed.

The relatively nice weather and the long May recess may be the reason that it has been politically quiet for quite some time after the publication of the Startnotitie Nederland van het lock, which the cabinet published two weeks ago. It may also be that its critics need to let the impact sink in, or that they need to be updated.

There has been no lack of free PR for the 'Starter package Netherlands from the lock'. Concepts were leaked to the media days before the letter was discussed in the cabinet. But many points still came as a surprise, especially because of the new perspective of the cabinet.

Someone in political The Hague consulted the strategic leaking script this week and made a plan. According to that person, enough markers have now been set in the ministerial committee for Economy and Nature Restoration to make further adjustments as desired.

Although new craziness is dished up in the news every day, nitrogen news continues to compete for attention remarkably well and steadily. For example, Minister of Agriculture Wiersma has scored quite high for a few weekends in a row because she is supposedly obstructing the Schoof Committee (officially the Ministerial Committee for Economy and Nature Restoration). Wiersma is said to be blocking solutions that could harm farmers, is the story.