The Dutch water is not clean enough. That is why outgoing minister Robert Tieman of Infrastructure and Water Management (BBB) takes additional measures to improve water quality.
The reason for the new approach is the European goals for water quality that the European Commission has set for 2027. An interim evaluation showed that the Netherlands is not going to achieve these goals. Earlier, the Netherlands already got upside down from the European Commission because of the permits that allow companies to discharge waste water into rivers.
To achieve the goals, the ministry therefore comes up with a list of fifteen points. This includes, for example, new analyzes for tracing pollution sources and the ministry also wants to ‘update’ the discharge permits of waste water.
The admission rules for crop protection products in agriculture are also viewed again. These agents contain substances of which there are now too much in the water and most of which come from agriculture. The stricter manure policy that Minister Femke Wiersma (BBB) works on must also provide cleaner water.
Companies must also become more aware of the importance of good water quality. This way they can have checked whether what they do is not conflicting with the water rules.
Despite the stricter measures, Minister Tieman does not expect the water to be clean everywhere in the Netherlands in 2027. If the goals of 2027 are not achieved, the Netherlands will ask for an exceptional option in Brussels.