The twelve provincial administrators with nitrogen in their package sat down with nitrogen mediator Johan Remkes on Monday. The Brabant commissioner Erik Ronnes is hopeful about his approach, but there are also concerns. “The timeline is killer and a lot is still unclear.” In the meantime, it seems that the Brabant stables approach can serve as an example for national measures.
Deputy Ronnes was not the first to sit down with the cabinet. But this time there was plenty of room to explain the Brabant approach and to express concerns.
Because there are plenty of worries. Starting with the financial resources. Ronnes: “Brabant has already received 45 million to make stables cleaner quickly. There will be more in the near future. But we are concerned about what the processing of the plans will cost. We will receive 1.2 million per province. for. That is really far too little.”
It is difficult to work with this if the complete package of measures for that future is still unclear. Ronnes mentions the manure policy, rules regarding the depreciation of land and the stop schemes.
“We still do not know exactly what the conditions are. In addition, the first scheme is only now running and the ministry is still working on the second scheme. Until that is clear, companies cannot make a decision.”
Brabant has also made a warm plea for a better explanation of the government’s measurement system. AERIUS is a program that calculates how much nitrogen is emitted and how much is precipitated in nature reserves. According to Ronnes, it is not clear what is and what is not counted, which causes unrest among farmers. “Clear communication can prevent that.”
PAS detectors
A recurring concern are the so-called PAS detectors. Under the Nitrogen Approach Program (PAS), these companies could suffice with a notification of the calculated nitrogen load on vulnerable nature. Due to the nitrogen ruling of the Council of State in 2019, they must now also have a permit, which these farmers can only obtain if nitrogen space is found.
Ronnes sees a solution for some of the PAS detectors in Brabant. By adapting their stables and thus reducing nitrogen, the same saved nitrogen space can yield a permit. Problem: banks do not finance the barn adaptation if the farmer in question does not have a permit. “I think the province or the state should be able to advance money,” says Ronnes. “With that you can legalize some of the PAS reporters and that is what we all want.”
Deadline closer quickly
Brabant is at the forefront when it comes to policy on barn modifications. Provincial administrator Ronnes sees the deadline of July 1, 2023 approaching rapidly. “We are also still waiting for a lot of data. The calculation of the low-emission barns, for example. I would have preferred to have that data yesterday. But we have to wait.” And that waiting takes precious time.
The cabinet also sees that Brabant is leading the way. Ronnes: “Provinces are asking for more national measures. The cabinet thinks, for example, that barn adjustments could fit in well.”
Ronnes wants to get all the headache files together: nitrogen, climate and water issues. This makes the task even bigger than it already was. “In any case, we are doing our utmost to meet that date of July 1, 2023. But it will be a tough job.” According to him, the cabinet has promised that there must be clarity within two months about the nitrogen measures for industry and traffic.
The provincial administrators closed the row on Monday with talks with the cabinet and Remkes. Previously, farmers’ organisations, nature organisations, the business community and banks had already joined. The farmers are invited for a new interview.
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