The European Commission has approved the nitrogen plans of the Netherlands. It will now be possible, among other things, to buy out the so-called peak loaders. These are companies that emit a large amount of nitrogen. There are about 150 such companies in Brabant.
At the end of November, the buy-out scheme was already presented by Minister Van der Wal of Nitrogen and Nature. It had to be ‘savagely attractive’ to entice farmers to stop their business.
Voluntary or forced
For example, they are intended to receive 120 percent of the market value of their company. Earlier it was already clear that there will not be a better offer than that. The farmers who want to use the scheme really have to stop.
Brussels had to give permission for the squeeze-out scheme, because otherwise the scheme could be seen as state aid. The question remains how many farmers will voluntarily allow themselves to be bought out. If not enough peak loaders stop, the minister will still proceed with a forced buyout.
Nitrogen space is urgently needed for nature recovery. At the moment, the province cannot issue nature permits to projects that release nitrogen, because the Natura2000 areas in Brabant are doing badly. The hope is that so many farmers will be bought out, so that the province can get rid of the ‘nitrogen lock’.
PAS detectors help
It is important, among other things for the PAS detectors, that a lot of nitrogen space is released. These farmers, through no fault of their own, do not yet have a permit. They participated in a scheme from 2015: the Nitrogen Approach Plan (PAS). In addition, they did not have to apply for a permit, but only to report it if they expanded their business. But a few years later, the court overturned that arrangement. And since then the PAS reporters are in fact illegal.
A quarter of all PAS reporters live in Brabant. The hope is therefore that enough farmers will allow themselves to be bought out, so that those PAS reporters can still be helped to obtain a permit. Earlier this week, Van der Wal stated in a letter to the House of Representatives that after nature restoration, the PAS detectors will again have priority over the nitrogen space that has become available.
Other arrangements
There will also be a similar scheme for livestock farmers who want to stop, but who are not peak loaders. These farmers can get up to 100 percent of the value of their farm. On a special website, owners can calculate their farm’s emissions.
The regulations that have now been approved apply specifically to agricultural companies. The cabinet also wants to tackle the industry by tightening up rules so that this branch can emit less in the vicinity of Natura2000 areas.
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