The Flemish government reached an agreement on the nitrogen dossier on Friday. This was announced by Prime Minister Jan Jambon (N-VA). through Twitter. “Everyone had to take a sip of water with the wine.”
As in the Netherlands, the Flemish government has been working for years on a Programmatic Approach to Nitrogen (PAS). The Netherlands and Belgium are the undisputed leaders when it comes to nitrogen emissions in Europe. Nowhere else is so much livestock kept in such a small area. Agriculture in Flanders is responsible for more than 53 percent of total nitrogen emissions. The target of the Flemish government is to reduce nitrogen emissions by half by 2030.
Compromise
In Flanders, two bottlenecks in particular played a role when concluding an agreement on nitrogen. For example, the Christian Democrats CD&V believed that nitrogen emissions from industry and agricultural companies should be treated more equally. They also wanted the nitrogen emissions from farms that would close to be passed on to other businesses in the area. A compromise has now been reached on both points, which means that both points will be further investigated.
There will also be a limit for nitrogen emissions until 2025. Companies that emit more will not be able to obtain a permit. That limit is therefore currently different for agriculture and industry, Jambon clarifies. If the additional research shows that relaxation can be made, agriculture and industry will be treated more equally.
In addition to the compromise that has been reached, there is also a ‘red list’ of farms that must close. “We give everyone time to close until 2030. There is a buy-out arrangement that ensures that the sooner a decision is made, the higher the compensation is,” says Jambon.
Read also: ‘A matter of time before massive protests against the nitrogen policy also arise in Flanders’