Compulsory purchases will be an option to close farms: Minister

Farmers protest poster. Photo: DutchNews.nl

The Cabinet has unveiled plans to cut nitrogen-based pollution in the Netherlands, and, as widely leaked, plans to buy out farmers.

Ministers said 2,000 to 3,000 farms and other major sources of pollution near environmentally sensitive areas should beWell finished.” 100% of the company’s value.

Leaks suggested the deal would be at 120%, but the terms of the buyout have yet to be finalized by cabinet ministers.

There have been no compulsory purchases yet, but if not enough farmers come forward, they will have to move towards compulsory purchases “with pain in their hearts,” Nitrogen Minister Christian van der Val said. . parliamentarians friday“There are no more offers.”

Farms and other businesses that need to be closed will be notified in January, and the minister will assess whether sufficient numbers have been submitted in the fall.

By removing 2,000 to 3,000 sources of nitrogen pollution, nature will recover and farms without proper permits will be legalized and construction can resume, the minister said.

Longer term, ministers are considering taxing nitrogen emissions in line with the CO2 tax. That would make working in a sustainable way more attractive, they say.

Europe

The Cabinet has to cut emissions to comply with European regulations mandating the protection of protected areas known as Natura 2000 areas.

But forced purchases are a dangerous line for farmers who, over the past three years, have staged mass protests, destroyed infrastructure and pickedeted cabinets as they tried to force the government to change course.

Their initial reaction to the Cabinet’s plan was mixed, and the threat of forced purchases remains a problem.

reaction

Largest farmer lobby group LTO Nederlandsaid it was most concerned about the additional restrictions facing the remaining farmers.Plus plans to allow more variations water table LTO Nederland said it would affect both arable and livestock farmers.

The Dutch Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) said last month that previous buyout plans over the past 25 years have only reduced the total number of cattle by a few percent.

The Cabinet said on Friday it hopes to work with agricultural groups, environmental groups and local governments to develop a long-term plan for the future of agriculture.