The province will stop issuing permits to farmers who want to adapt their barns to emit less nitrogen. However, Elies Lemkes, deputy for Agriculture, Food and Nature, still advises farmers to apply for a permit for the ‘cleaner’ barn in good time. “It is important that they show that they are submitting the permit application in time, before April 1, 2023.”
New applications from dairy farmers will no longer be processed, the provincial government announced on Friday morning. “But we will only stop temporarily,” emphasizes Lemkes in conversation with Omroep Brabant.
“We first want to receive a letter from the minister for permission for this type of housing. We think it is important to have certainty about this, and to be able to offer it to farmers. We want to grant permits that will last.”
‘Confidence in meeting date’
For a long time, Brabant had its own policy when it came to limiting nitrogen emissions: farmers who wanted to adapt their barn, for example with a low-emission floor, were given the opportunity until 2024, and must apply for a permit.
“It is still possible to apply for permits. We just have to suspend the issuance. But it is important that farmers show that they want to apply for a permit in good time. That is why we advise farmers to still apply for the permit before April 2023, the deadline that is now set.”
Lemkes says he will stick to that date. “That is stated in the road map that we made at the time. We are also confident that we will be informed in a timely manner what the permits must comply with. And we will stick to that.”
Doubt
There were already farmers who had doubts about the scheme and banks that did not want to provide a loan for the adjustments, because there is a chance that many farmers will have to close their businesses in the coming years. The Council of State has already doubted the operation of the low-emission stables, as have environmental organizations and Wageningen University. And last week the judge annulled three more permits that the province had given to farmers in Brabant.
That is why the province is now slowing down. Confidence in the technology is still there, but due to the developments, new applications from farmers who want to renovate their barn are no longer being processed. This means that no new permits are issued for these farmers. However, applications can still be submitted.
According to the province, the Ministry of LNV will have to provide clarity about the usefulness of the stables. Farmers’ organization ZLTO said it was surprised by the decision.
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