Given all the political turmoil surrounding the agriculture deal – which is about to fail – everyone is looking directly at the nitrogen paragraphs, according to Omroep Gelderland reporter Gerwin Peelen. “It was already clear before, but now it’s also in the deal,” Peelen explains. “Gelderland meets the 2035 nitrogen deadline, and not 2030 as the cabinet would like.”
“Gelderland meets the 2035 nitrogen deadline, not 2030 as the government would like”
The province thus complies with the law, which still provides for the year 2035. Furthermore, Gelderland does not want to cooperate in the expropriation of farmers, Peelen knows. “Gelderland has known for a long time that this won’t be necessary, as many farmers have already indicated that they want to stop,” says Peelen. “We can negotiate enough with it.”
Waiting line
The choices – certainly in the field of nitrogen – in the Gelderland Agreement are not very surprising. According to Peelen, most of the measures were already largely in line with expectations. “Gelderland’s approach to nitrogen boils down to everyone having to contribute and there has to be a future for the agricultural sector,” he continues. “This was already established in the previous coalition period, so they’re actually continuing on the same footing.”
However, the BBB played a major role in how the coalition deal was set up. Thanks to their strong vocals, the chord would be “much louder”, according to Peelen. “They know it in The Hague too. The voice of the BBB is most clearly reflected in the rest of climate policy.’
For example, according to Peelen, there would be rules to prevent the installation of solar panels on agricultural land and research is being done on smaller nuclear power plants.
2035
Measures that – just like compliance with the year 2035 – run counter to the wishes of the cabinet. And Gelderland can stick to that year, just like the province doesn’t have to take over farmers. Peelen: ‘They just follow the law. Only when the nitrogen law has been passed through the House of Representatives and the Senate, and then adopted, will the law be different.’
The moment it happens, however, Peelen thinks it gets really interesting. At that time, the province must comply with the provisions of the law. In the meantime, The Hague is also looking at the provinces, and the Board wants to renegotiate the nitrogen deadline. “They want to wait until agreements are established in the provinces,” concludes Peelen. “But you can imagine that in other provinces, where the BBB is also very large, 2035 will also be included in the agreements.”