The European Commission wants to put an end to the exceptional position that allows the Netherlands to spread more manure. That states the Financial Times Tuesday based on sources in Brussels.
By lifting this ‘derogation’, the manure surplus for farmers would increase significantly next year, which could lead to practical and financial problems. A final decision is expected to be made in the coming weeks, says the usually well-informed British business newspaper.
Thanks to the exemption, farmers with a lot of grassland can apply up to 250 kilos of nitrogen per hectare annually via animal manure
Over the past twenty years, Brussels has allowed the Netherlands to spread more manure than in most other countries in the European Union, although the scope of the exemption has gradually decreased. The cabinet has requested this year to extend the extension, but no response has yet been received, a spokesperson for outgoing minister Femke Wiersma (Agriculture, BBB) emphasizes. NRC. According to the ministry, there is no question of a rejection. “Negotiations are still ongoing.”
Dutch farmers are allowed to spread more manure than their colleagues elsewhere in Europe. This is partly because grassland in a temperate climate grows for a long time and can absorb a lot of nitrogen. Thanks to the exemption, farmers with a lot of grassland can apply up to 250 kilos of nitrogen per hectare annually via animal manure. Without an extension of manure rights, the EU Nitrate Directive caps this at 170 kilos.
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Patience
The need to spread less manure is mainly due to the poor Dutch water and soil quality. Almost half of nitrogen emissions come from agriculture. As a result of the ‘nitrogen lock’, parts of the economy, such as construction, industry and the energy network, have been experiencing stagnation for a long time.
This spring it became clear that the European Commission’s patience was running out. “I don’t think it is sustainable to continue to build on the derogation,” said European Commissioner Jessika Roswall in an interview with a parliamentary committee in The Hague in April. If the government wants more manure space again, it should first work on nature restoration. “We have not seen that so far,” the European Commissioner told MPs. “You have to deliver something.”
This situation has changed little since April, because the nitrogen policy is at an impasse. Previous attempts to come up with more stringent policies led to protest actions around 2022, such as blockades with tractors.
Environmental regulations
During a meeting in Lith, North Brabant, Wiersma said last week, according to the trade magazine Field guide know that she has “not yet given up hope” on derogation. According to her, the need is great. Dairy farms, for example, are already faced with an almost untenable situation due to high manure processing costs, rising land prices and stricter environmental regulations.
Last week it was announced that Ireland can count on more fertilizer space from Brussels for the next three years, the agriculture minister announced in parliament. Ireland has a less intensive form of agriculture than the Netherlands.
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