He received the subsidy that the king received for Kroondomein Het Loo between 2016 and 2021 lawfully. That has the Trade and Industry Appeals Boardone of the four highest administrative judges in the Netherlands, was determined on Tuesday morning.
The case against the Ministry of Agriculture, which awarded the subsidy of more than 4.7 million euros, was initiated by the Fauna Protection Foundation. The action group has been objecting to the annual subsidy that King Willem-Alexander receives for nature management at Kroondomein Het Loo for several years.
According to the foundation, this is unjustified: in order to receive a subsidy, estate owners must open the vast majority of their land to the public all year round. An area of 3,400 hectares on the Crown Domain is closed every year between September 15 and December 25.
The king decided two years ago not to apply for a subsidy for that area anymore. This allows him to decide for himself when to close the area. He is applying for a subsidy for the 1,300 hectares that can be visited all year round and the 1,600 hectares of vulnerable nature (which is always closed). Until the end of 2027, this amounts to 4.5 million euros.
Recreation allowance
The lawsuit concerned the previous subsidy period (2016-2021). The Trade Appeals Board reasons that the subsidy then consisted of two parts: one for nature management and one for opening up. “This recreation allowance has been granted for the part that is open to the public all year round and not for the part that is closed (part of the year),” the council writes in its ruling. “The law only allows the minister to attach an opening obligation to the recreation fee, so the minister is right not to impose that obligation for the (partly) closed site.” No appeal is possible against the ruling.
The reason given in the subsidy applications was ‘protection of privacy’. The Fauna Protection Foundation and other nature conservationists say that the king hunts during that time. According to the King’s steward, Arno Willems, hunting is indeed taking place to limit the population of deer and boars. “There are agreements on limiting populations throughout the Veluwe. That is to ensure that there is no unbridled growth,” he previously said NRC. According to the Government Information Service, the king hunts for one half day a year.
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