Dozens of farmers have reported to the ZLTO interest group in recent weeks. Should they apply for a permit for a low-emission housing system or air scrubber or not? That has to be done before October 1, but the systems do not do what they promise. If they do not apply for the permit, they are in violation according to the province. How Brabant is becoming increasingly stuck in a parallel reality.
The plans were so beautiful. In order to significantly reduce nitrogen emissions, the province decided years ago that farmers in Brabant had to adapt their stables. Dairy farmers a new stable floor that can separate manure and urine. Pig farmers, goat farmers and poultry farmers have an air washer on the roof of the barn.
The plans met with much opposition. Because such a housing system is expensive and you don’t see that reflected in the turnover. The date for these mandatory barn adjustments has been pushed back several times. There was even a lecture about it.
Stripe through systems
The last change in the plans came in mid-December 2022, after the judge decided that several housing systems did not achieve the promised result. Nitrogen emissions turned out to have been reduced much less than intended. As a result, farmers emit more nitrogen than they have received a permit for.
Minister of Nature and Nitrogen, Christianne van der Wal, promised to find out which systems are suitable and which are not. That research by Wageningen University lasted about six months. The province decided that farmers in Brabant would also be given a six-month extension for installing the new housing systems. New deadline: July 1, 2024. Apply for a permit before October 1, 2023.
Staggering results
On 30 June, the results of the study were announced by Wageningen University in a letter to parliament. The results were staggering. The barn systems for dairy cattle do not work. The air washers for pig houses work 60 percent less than expected. And emissions from poultry are three times higher than expected. There is work to be done for the ministries, but results will not be available before the end of the year.
It would be logical if the provincial government concludes that sticking to a deadline for a mandatory barn adjustment to reduce nitrogen is not very logical. But here comes the parallel reality.
Postponement in draft agreement
During the negotiations on a new executive board of BBB, VVD, PvdA and GroenLinks, it was decided to press the pause button. The date of July 2024 has been dropped in the draft agreement. Painful detail: the draft agreement never became a final agreement, because the plug was pulled from the negotiations.
The negotiating parties VVD, PvdA and GroenLinks therefore agree that the date of 1 July 2024 is not feasible. It’s just not on paper. A new college will probably not be available until September. That is less than a month before the expiry date for the permit application. Until then, the old agreements stand: a deadline for the permit of 1 October.
Again motion CDA
As long as there is no new coalition yet, it is up to the old coalition to provide clarity. She doesn’t. After June 30, it remained silent. The Board does not itself draw any conclusions from the letter to parliament. It is again the CDA that will come up with a motion on Friday to get that clarity. That party wants the deadline of October 1, 2023 and July 1, 2024 to be released immediately.
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