According to the minister, it is becoming increasingly difficult for companies due to the crisis. “Factories and companies can’t now become more sustainable because they don’t get a permit, many projects have stalled,” says the Minister for Nature and Nitrogen in a conversation with political journalist Sophie van Leeuwen. “This is bittersweet because sustainability is good for long-term nature recovery.”
The minister calls it a “complicated problem” that must be solved together with the agricultural sector and industry. ‘We want to break through this and that requires speed and action, but we also want support. We have that tension all the time.’
Flanders
BNR spoke to Van der Wal at the Flemish-Dutch government summit in Den Bosch, which focused on “promoting cooperation in many areas”, including the nitrogen problem. According to the minister, this problem is just as serious in Flanders as it is here, even if there is still no talk of freezing buildings there.
Van der Wal and his colleague Zuhal Demir discussed cooperation, among other things. “Many are already doing this, including in Germany, because the nitrogen tap has to be turned off in nature reserves in border regions, and at the same time investments also have to be made in nature restoration.”
For this, the top loaders in Flanders are now being bought by the Flemish government, while the Netherlands is still discussing it. However, it is a misconception to think that the Flemings are ahead of the Netherlands. ‘Along with the agricultural sector, we are seeing the transition towards a sector more in balance with nature. Because we don’t just have a nitrogen problem, we also have to look at water quality and we have to meet climate goals. It’s smart to tackle it all at once.’
Trade mission
During the summit, the Netherlands and Flanders agreed to jointly undertake a trade mission this year. Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon have yet to say where the mission is going, should it be in Asia or the United States. The trade mission’s goal is to further strengthen European competitiveness “in the interests of the Netherlands,” said Jambon.