At least eighteen provincial councilors with a professional background in agriculture may have engaged in a conflict of interest by voting on nitrogen motions. In most cases, they thereby violated provincial integrity rules, according to research by NRC.
It happened in nine provinces since 2019. Because of their work as a dairy farmer or arable farmer, for example, the politicians were not allowed to vote on provincial regulations and motions in which they had an interest. Eight of these eighteen Members of Parliament also hold positions at LTO or another interest group.
Eline Vedder says she finds it “terrible that her integrity and that of others are being questioned. All sectors are affected by the nitrogen problem, not just agriculture.”
In most provinces it is prohibited for States members to vote on policies and motions in which they have a personal interest. In addition to voting, some parliamentarians also spoke and introduced points of view that they had previously discussed with LTO, for example, NRC writes.
The Provincial Council has an important role in the nitrogen dossier. The provinces have to make plans for nitrogen reduction, the members of parliament will vote on this.
“If you see those integrity codes in general, I think it’s quite remarkable that this is possible,” Arco Timmermans, professor by special appointment of Public Affairs at Leiden University, told the newspaper. He points to the codes of Utrecht, Drenthe and Friesland. “They are clear: you don’t vote if you have an interest.” Only in Utrecht and Groningen there are no States members with a professional background in agriculture this term.