Environmental organizations Greenpeace, Milieudefensie and Mobilization for the Environment (MOB) are calling for the cancellation of the nature conservation permit Schiphol received in September. They applied to the court regarding this issue. The organizations say nature permits should never have been granted due to “major substantive and procedural deficiencies”.
Schiphol had no nature permit, which was believed to be unnecessary for years. In 2020, the cabinet decided that the airport should apply for such a permit. The nature permit, issued in September, allows for a maximum of 500,000 flights per year.
The organizations write that the situation in 2008 was incorrectly taken into account when the permit was issued. According to them, this does not justify the number of flights. Additionally, “Schiphol residents and environmental organizations were unable to adequately express their views against the approval.”
“Legal tricks”
Greenpeace, Milieudefensie and MOB also criticize Schiphol’s purchase of nitrogen rights from farms. According to the organisations, not enough nitrogen space is being created to accommodate current flight movements at Schiphol.
Environmental organizations find it “unacceptable that in the midst of the climate crisis, all legal tricks are being used to legalize the largest possible airport.” Three organizations receive support from Schipholwatch and the Nieuwkoop Vlieghinder Association in objecting to the nature permit.
MOB has been taking legal action against the environmental damage caused by air traffic for years. The organization wants all night flights to be banned at Schiphol and most connecting flights to be eliminated. “Switchers contribute nothing to the Dutch economy.”
Source: NOS
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
