Nitrogen claim: claim damages for farmer from government

Agricultural entrepreneurs who have to deal with the nitrogen measures announced by the cabinet can possibly recover the damage from the government. The new Nitrogen Claim Foundation wants to commit itself to this.

The organization consists of representatives from the various livestock sectors and is supported by a team of lawyers and lawyers. The chairman of Nitrogen Claim is dairy farmer John Spithoven.

In a statement, the foundation points out that the government will take the nitrogen measures on the basis of the results of the Aerius calculation model of the RIVM. According to Nitrogen Claim, this model has never been validated with measurements and has an uncertainty in the calculations of 50 to 100%. And that while, according to the organization, 'the central government and the provinces are about to take nitrogen measures, whereby billions of euros in economic value will be taken from the agricultural sector.'

in the AD let CDA MP Jaco Geurts know that he has serious doubts about the calculation model of the RIVM. Geurts finds it particularly strange that the RIVM does not provide insight into the structure of the calculation model. "RIVM must be transparent about this." The SGP also says it is critical. Chamber Chris Stoffer explains that there is a double standard, because roads are only considered for nitrogen that precipitates up to five kilometers from a road. In agricultural companies this is up to 'infinite distance.'

Hunting at wrong costs
The deposition will actually be measured over the next three years. Nitrogen claim says it expects the measurements to lead to different results from the Aerius calculation model now. 'If measures are introduced hastily on the basis of assumptions, there is a risk that things will turn out to be different in reality. And entrepreneurs are hunted for nothing or at the wrong costs.'

Nitrogen claim declares that it will tackle the damage proceedings collectively. The more participants, the more procedures can be picked up, the foundation reports. Entrepreneurs can participate for 150 euros. The indemnities collected are awarded to the participants. 

Thousands of companies suffer
The organization foresees that claims for damages can arise from the inventory of the provinces via the Aerius model of companies that emit too much nitrogen on adjacent nature areas. According to Nitrogen Claim, the provincial nitrogen measures could affect an estimated thousands of livestock farms in dairy cattle, beef cattle, pigs and poultry.

Damage claims also stand a chance for companies located within a radius of approximately one kilometer of nature reserves, from which the development space is being taken. According to Nitrogen Claim, these companies fall in value and become unsaleable. According to the foundation, the purchase of latent space, production rights and/or environmental production space without adequate financial compensation can also be worth a claim.

Beyond the stats
The Nitrogen Claim Foundation points to the fact that thousands of companies that emit nitrogen oxides, for example in industry, do not have a Nature Conservation Act permit. These companies are therefore completely outside the scope of the current statistics, which report that 46% of the emissions are attributable to livestock farming. If these companies had been included in the calculation, the livestock farming sector would have received less 'the full blast', according to Nitrogen Claim from politicians and environmental organisations.

Stikstofclaim.nl will be online next week, the foundation reports. Then interested livestock farmers can register. 

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