Three ministers were called to the House of Representatives on Wednesday evening to discuss their mutual conflict regarding manure policy. Finally, the MPs hoped to find out what was true about the stories in the media in recent days.
Does outgoing Minister Femke Wiersma (Agriculture, BBB) indeed want to allow more manure near streams and ditches? And is it true that outgoing Minister Robert Tieman (Infrastructure and Water Management, BBB) and his State Secretary Thierry Aartsen (VVD) are therefore very concerned about the water quality that is affected by phosphates and nitrogen? And will there be a compromise at the last cabinet meeting of this year on Friday that can be sent to the European Commission? Or will the January 1 deadline not be met, which could eventually lead to fines from Brussels?
The House of Representatives had many more questions, but when Wiersma was given the floor, she immediately left no room for ambiguity. “I have heard many questions, but I will not answer them because the decision-making in the cabinet has not yet been completed.” No matter how the MPs tried, no further information was forthcoming. With one exception: all three ministers denied that there is a conflict within the cabinet. It is purely about “a discussion”.
If the cabinet makes a decision on this plan on Friday, it will be difficult for the House of Representatives to debate it before January 1, because the Christmas recess will start afterwards.
Motion of no confidence
The four-yearly Nitrate action programme, which is the subject of the disagreement, is of great importance. In any case, the House and Cabinet agreed on this. The Netherlands has been at the bottom of European lists for years when it comes to water quality. This is partly the result of the manure and pesticides that farmers spread on their land. Water boards and water companies are very critical of the policy that has been released in bits and pieces in recent months. It is not clear what the current status of the new, eighth action program is.
“We have not become much wiser,” said Member of Parliament Laura Bromet (GroenLinks-PvdA) with restrained anger at the end of the debate. According to her, Wiersma’s reluctant response was indicative of the agriculture minister’s policy. A minister “who listens to no one and normalizes a type of government that I do not wish for our country.” She then submitted a motion of no confidence together with the Party for the Animals. That motion will be voted on on Thursday afternoon.
The frustration among Pieter Grinwis (Christian Union) seemed no less great. Together with D66 and CDA, he proposed pressing the pause button and not taking any irreversible steps. After that, a new cabinet can introduce its own fertilizer rules and improve the quality of surface water. Wiersma’s response to that motion was not surprising to any of the MPs. She called the motion untimely because decision-making still has to take place in the cabinet.
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