Schiphol continues to buy out farmers for nitrogen, against the wishes of the majority of the House

For the time being, Schiphol will continue to buy out livestock farmers in North Holland, South Holland, Utrecht and in the vicinity of Lelystad Airport, for extra nitrogen space for aviation. With this, the airport seems to ignore the demand of a majority of the House of Representatives, which wants Schiphol to immediately stop buying out farmers.

The airport needs the nitrogen space to comply with nature permits for both Schiphol and Lelystad Airport, which also falls under the Schiphol Group. Those nature permits have been missing for years and cannot even be obtained due to the announced reduction from 500,000 to 440,000 flights per year. Lelystad Airport cannot be opened for holiday flights without a nature permit.

Last month it was announced that Schiphol had approached livestock farmers for their nitrogen rights. According to a spokesperson for the airport, several purchase contracts have already been signed.

One farming family may have already left

Schiphol does not want to say which livestock farms have been bought due to confidentiality agreements, but could say that at least one family may have already left their farm. Other farmers continue to live on their property, but have completely given up their nitrogen space.

Stop shopping

A majority of the House of Representatives has approved a motion by GroenLinks and the Party for the Animals, which demand from the cabinet that Schiphol stops shopping for nitrogen space among farmers. According to Suzanne Kröger (GroenLinks), aviation is not a priority, but released nitrogen rights should go to housing and nature, for example.

“Schiphol has crossed all borders: noise nuisance for local residents, climate and also nitrogen,” says Kröger to NH Nieuws. “A smaller Schiphol is inevitable. If farmers stop now, then we have to have a social discussion about what we use that nitrogen room for.”

Strong wish

Schiphol says it will discuss this with the government, but at the same time also points to politicians who have a ‘strong wish’ that the airport will soon receive a nature permit.

“In the absence of a coordinated nitrogen approach from the government, we started working ourselves,” Schiphol said in a statement to NH Nieuws. “We announced this on November 16. The buying of nitrogen rights, of which 30 percent goes to nature restoration, fits within the rules and is done on the full voluntary basis of the livestock farmers concerned.”

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