Provincial parties in Overijssel want nitrogen gain first for farmers, then nature

According to findings of a survey conducted by the majority of provincial parties in Overijssel, farmers who face heavy fines for emitting too much nitrogen through no fault of their own should be the first to be helped when nitrogen rights are released. This will bring them into compliance with nitrogen emission standards, so they will no longer be operating illegally. Only then should the so-called nitrogen profit go to restoring nature. However, this priority rule would run counter to the government's policy of moving quickly to less nitrogen in order to restore nature.

The province of Overijssel has a big problem with farmers who illegally discharge nitrogen through no fault of their own, the so-called PAS notifiers. For a long time this was tolerated, but through court rulings the province is now forced to enforce it anyway. As a result, these farmers live in great uncertainty and provincial politicians disagree on how to solve the problem.

Particularly right-wing parties believe that PAS notifiers should first be able to claim the released nitrogen rights. According to an Ipsos poll, they have a large majority with 33 of 47 seats. For the CDA, which comes in at 6 seats in the poll, legalizing PAS notifiers is a "top priority." The BBB, which comes in at 9 seats, agrees that nitrogen land should go to other farmers when a farm is bought out. But, "First of all, the BBB is against buying out farms because of the nitrogen issue."

Left-wing parties, on the other hand, want to focus mainly on renaturation. "It is important that the PAS applicants are helped quickly," said the Overijssel Labour Party. "But beyond that, nitrogen rights are urgently needed to restore sensitive nature and solve the housing shortage." D66, GroenLinks and the Partij voor de Dieren (Party for the animals) agree. The local party Samen Lokaal Twente believes that nitrogen rights that become available can also be used for new housing or businesses.

For a long time, PAS notifiers were tolerated because they could not help emitting nitrogen without a permit. Until 2019, they only had to report their emissions to the province without needing a permit. But that ended after the chief administrative judge drew a line in the sand. As a result, farmers had to continue illegally.

Since then, they have been tolerated, but even now the court is stepping in after a lawsuit filed by the environmental movement Mobilization for the Environment (MOB): The province must begin enforcement. The same scenario applies to other provinces when environmental groups go to court. In Drenthe, the MOB has already done so.

Especially at the top of Overijssel, in the Weerribben-Wieden National Park, there is a lot of nitrogen-sensitive nature. Nitrogen also causes damage to nature on the Sallandse Heuvelrug and in several smaller nature reserves in Twente.