Ministers were shocked by the European Commission’s letter to the government on nitrogen policy. In the letter, EU Commissioner Sinkevicius says the Netherlands should step up its nitrogen approach. Among other things, he points out that the Netherlands must comply with agreements to reduce emissions by 2030.
Nitrogen Minister Van der Wal doesn’t want to say much about the content: “The letter is too short and we really need to look at what’s going on here.” She admits she was “shocked” when she read the letter Wednesday. He also understands that “many people would be shocked if the letter were on the street the next day.” He finds the spread of the letter “extremely distressing”. “That doesn’t help either.”
Van der Wals colleague Adema was also shocked. “This is a pretty short letter. In fact, Brussels says 100 percent of the regions should fall below the critical deposit value. This is something quite important.” The critical deposition level is the limit on the amount of nitrogen a given protected area can handle. Adema added that the cabinet now needs to see exactly what the letter means.
Another consultation, including nitrogen, was held by Cabinet members last night. Prime Minister Rutte believes the coalition can solve a number of problems. On Tuesday there will be a parliamentary debate on the results of the results of the state elections, in which the cabinet must present a letter. The Cabinet continues to discuss this today, and consultations were held with a small group again this morning.
Ahead of this morning’s cabinet meeting, D66 leader and deputy prime minister Kaag was asked if he was optimistic that the cabinet would be announced. “I’m not optimistic, but that doesn’t mean I’m pessimistic. There are many degrees in between. These are difficult issues and require a lot of nuance and mutual understanding.”
Deputy Prime Minister Schouten (ChristenUnie) emphasized that the coalition consists of four parties. “And you don’t automatically start thinking about how to solve this the same way.” Hoekstra, the deputy prime minister and head of the CDA, didn’t want to say anything more than they were good and intense talks.
Source: NOS
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
