European Commission positive for BBB stance, but ‘nitrogen is crucial’

The European Commission’s Frans Timmermans said he was pleased that Caroline van der Plas, leader of the political party BoerBurgerBeweging, wanted to comply with European environmental rules, saying that her party would improve the natural state of the Netherlands. But after a meeting with van der Plath in The Hague, he said that “nitrogen is extremely important” for natural policy.

Last month, Van der Plath led a relatively new party to a dramatic victory in last month’s state council elections. Her party becomes the largest party in all 12 of her state parliaments and the largest party in her Eerste Kamer, the Dutch Senate.

Van der Plath said on Tuesday he felt European rules were already in line with much of what the BBB had already said, and felt somewhat justified. is that Brussels doesn’t say no, at least not always.” The BBB leader wanted to know from Timmermans about the extent of the European natural rules that the Cabinet must follow. Van der Plas said he believes nitrogen reduction is not necessarily the only measure necessary to prevent degradation of natural areas. The EU Member States themselves are responsible for this.

Timmermans later conceded this, but he argued that Dutch nitrogen emissions must be drastically cut. Said. “There are other ways, but don’t think you’ll get out of the nitrogen problem. It should always be dealt with as a problem.”

“What I am really encouraged by is BoerBurgerBeweging’s desire to comply with European laws and regulations,” said Timmermans. The BBB has no confidence in the Cabinet’s approach. The party has drawn up its own memorandum of understanding, which includes “a lot of solid work,” Timmermans said. He urged the party to make its own plans, and the memorandum, he said, was clearly well thought out.

Timmermans does not believe that the BBB provided “fairy tale notes”. This is a qualification proposed by D66 MP Tjeerd de Groot, according to Van der Plas. He spoke of a “good faith attempt” to come up with alternatives. He also offered to supplement and improve the suggestions as needed. Timmermans could not yet say whether the BBB’s proposal would suffice for the EU.

In a conversation with Van der Plas, the social democrat said he always stressed that nitrogen reduction should be part of the plan.

Van der Plas and Timmermans talked for over two hours in the Tweede Kamer building. According to the European Commission, the conversation was “special and enjoyable”. Nitrogen wasn’t the only problem. For example, there was also the issue of Dutch wolves protected by European regulations.