News item | 09-02-2023 | 14:57
At the request of the national government and the provinces, the Ecological Authority has issued advice on the draft guide for area programmes. This guide provides the provinces with guidelines for drawing up area programs in which achieving the targets for nature, nitrogen, water and climate are central. In its advice, the Ecological Authority is positive about the approach of the guide and underlines the importance of a broad and learning approach. The Ecological Authority also has a number of recommendations. For example, the body indicates that the guide needs to be more concrete on a number of points. The advice is an important step in the further development of the guide.
In its advice, the Ecological Authority assesses to what extent the use of the guide leads to complete and well-founded area programmes. According to the Ecological Authority, the proposed, integrated approach is necessary to prevent the deterioration of nature and to achieve the goals for water, nature and climate. The advice also contains recommendations for, for example, sharpening the goals, identifying the negative consequences of measures and paying more attention to planning and follow-up decisions. The Ecological Authority also advises to properly map local, regional and national nitrogen sources per area so that targeted measures can be taken to reduce nitrogen precipitation.
The national government and the provinces will take the recommendations into account in the further development of the guide. Until then, the provinces will use the current guideline and the recommendations from the advice to draw up the area programmes.
Area programmes: customization per area
The provinces lay down in area programs how they will achieve the targets for nature, nitrogen, water and climate. Because every area is different and the quality of nature, water and soil is nowhere the same, we look at what is appropriate and possible for each area. Provinces, municipalities, water boards, entrepreneurs and site managers are working together on an approach per area. The approach must match the characteristics of the area and respond to what water, soil and nature can handle. The provinces will submit the first version of the area programs by 1 July 2023 at the latest, after which they will be assessed by the national government, the Ecological Authority and the knowledge institutions.