The Cabinet has known for weeks that Brussels Dutch fertilizer policy is not cheap
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Minister Adema returned from abroad on Friday for an emergency meeting about Brussels’ criticism of the Dutch neck policy, but the cabinet had known for weeks that there was a good chance that the Netherlands would no longer receive any exemptions from Europe for spreading manure. In short, which is in the hands of the NOS, fellow European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius in mid-December already that the Netherlands can be considered.
Sinkevicius writes in the letter on December 19 that he is concerned about the Netherlands and that all conditions meet the conditions to qualify for the most exits. He says he is concerned about a brief from Adema to the House of 2 December, which gives the impression that there is more time for farmers and that more is possible than announced. The Commissioner points out that if the Netherlands does not meet the conditions, the exceptional position will disappear.
There are disapproving signals in the Chamber. Also because the minister in a debate deed also men are not worried about what Brussels thinks.
Europe previously ruled out spreading manure must be restrained to achieve environmental goals for water quality.
‘No cause for great concern’
In a debate on December 20, a day after the letter of exemption from European Commissioner Sinkevicius, D66 MP De Groot says he hears concerns from Brussels and asks the minister how he sees that because the Netherlands “formally does not comply with the derogation decision holds” . Adema tells the House that the conversation “is about that” and there is “no reason for great concern”.
But from the short of a day earlier, you could worry to be able to lead:
The Ministry of Agriculture says that Adema “officially received” the letter on December 19, but did not read it before the debate on December 20. During the debate, the minister thought he could still “lose” the committee in “follow-up talks”.
Wednesday debate
Members of parliament from both coalition and opposition want to start a debate on Wednesday, and want that debate to receive the letter from European Commissioner Sinkevicius.
VVD MP Van Campen calls it “appreciative that the minister looked into the feasibility of changing the rules for farmers” but says that “the hard-won derogation should never cost ten.
“The VVD did not know that the transition year announced by the cabinet was reported to the House without an agreement from the European Commission. Farmers are now saddled with false hope. We are disappointed by this,” says Van Campen.
D66 MP De Groot would have thought it “nice” if Adema “corrected” the provisional answer from the debate that there was no cause for concern. “That would also have been relevant for farmers, because then they could have been preparing for a month longer. Now they are facing a fait accompli at the very last minute”.
VVD member Van Campen believes that farmers should be able to count on a reliable government. “That trust has been damaged here again.”
For GroenLinks, the question of trust plays a role. “Very serious that the minister seems to have been blind to the message from Brussels. Half-truths damage confidence in the government,” said Member of Parliament Bromet.