The House of Representatives adopted the agricultural budget for this year on Thursday, including the almost 3 billion euros that the government wants to spend to tackle the nitrogen crisis. Of this, 1.45 billion euros is for voluntary buyout schemes for farmers and 1.28 billion euros for nature conservation measures.
BBB and PVV said in an explanation of vote that they do not agree with the 1.28 billion euros that goes to provinces’ nature measures. They do support the rest of the budget, including the 1.5 billion euros that largely goes to voluntary buyout schemes for farmers.
During the debate on the agricultural budget two weeks ago, BBB, PVV, VVD and NSC did not comment on whether they supported the extra billions. But they also did not submit a proposal to adjust the budget. The four parties were still negotiating a possible coalition at the time.
‘Strangling regulations’
VVD MP Thom van Campen had a ‘positive basic attitude’ towards the agricultural budget. Harm Holman (NSC) said: “If we do nothing, there is a threat of a tough, cold restructuring.”
BBB leader Caroline van der Plas talked about food shortages and ‘strangling regulations’, but said she would only look at the budget ‘very carefully and very carefully’. “My group believes that entering into an obligation of 1.28 billion is not up to an outgoing cabinet, but to a subsequent cabinet,” Van der Plas said on Thursday.
And although Jeanet Nijhof (PVV) was remarkably mild about the nitrogen plans of the outgoing cabinet, she said she supported the 3 billion euros ‘not now’.
Despite all the reservations, the PVV and BBB ultimately agreed to the budget.