There will be no temporary ban on expanding lily cultivation. The Provincial Executive does want to be able to intervene if lily cultivation does grow. Deputy Henk Emmens (BBB) said tonight that work is being done behind the scenes on a so-called moratorium.
With such a moratorium, the province can ensure that no new lily cultivation is allowed to be added to the existing one. But for now the council sees no point in that. “The area will decrease rather than grow,” Emmens said this evening in the Provincial Council.
The deputy thinks he can reasonably predict how many plots of lilies will be grown, because farmers plan a number of years in advance. Because, according to the council, a moratorium would also lead to complex and difficult to explain regulations, it does not want it now.
The Christian Union and the PvdA in particular were not immediately satisfied with this. They wanted to hear from the deputy how a moratorium could be designed. The PvdA previously said that a moratorium could remove social unrest.
Emmens then said that a temporary ban is being worked on behind the scenes. “If necessary, we have it ready,” said Emmens, who reassured the Christian Union and the PvdA.
Pesticides near Natura 2000 were discussed in the Provincial Council tonight. A majority in the States agreed with the province’s chosen course. This mainly concerned enforcement policy.
Since a ruling by the Council of State last year, lily growers have required a nature permit unless they can demonstrate that their work does not damage vulnerable nature. But that is impossible, because there is too little knowledge about the effects of pesticides on Natura 2000.
The growers cannot therefore obtain a permit. This upsets fanatical opponents of the use of pesticides, who want the ruling of the Council of State to be complied with. They want a strict enforcement policy, in line with case law.
Because there is already a large number of enforcement requests, the province is making choices in enforcement policy. This means that a balance of interests is made between the farmer and nature. The closer to nature a grower has lilies, the greater the chance that the province will enforce this. If a grower is further away, he will probably avoid enforcement.
Some members of Parliament expressed sharp criticism. According to Renate Zuiker of the Party for the Animals, the council considers the fortunes of lily growers more important than the state of nature. “Profit comes before the common good,” she said. “The council can also choose to enforce if there is no permit, but they do not choose that.”
Coalition parties CDA and PvdA also had their reservations. The PvdA called the State document on lily policy ‘a shaky structure in some respects’, but still voted in favor and hopes to be included by the council in the next steps to be taken. The CDA, which expressed concerns about the consequences for food cultivation, joined the PvdA.
Tomorrow (Thursday) summary proceedings will be heard in the court in Groningen between the province and Meten=Weten regarding lily cultivation. The association wants the province to quickly make a decision on an enforcement request from March 2025.
