European Commission approves compensation scheme to buyout farmers

Farmers who willingly give up their livestock farm could be compensated for this due to a new subsidy scheme. The European Commission has approved Dutch subsidies of 50 million euros.

The program is in addition to the compensation arrangements for farmers already approved by Brussels. The new buyout scheme is meant for farmers who do not fall under the other arrangements, for example, because they keep a different type of animal, such as veal calves, ducks, or rabbits.

Compensation has been arranged to encourage farmers to close their companies to limit nitrogen emissions near natural areas. This damaging form of emission is caused by animal manure, among other things.

The new agriculture minister, Femke Wiersma, is happy with the approval, although she prefers giving attention to ways to help the farmers rather than helping them quit. The buyout had already begun under the last Cabinet and will be finalized, said the BBB party member after the weekly minister's meeting. She pointed out that the termination scheme is voluntary. "That is the reason that I am not against it."

Wiersma thinks that continuing the buyout scheme will not give the farmers the impression that nothing will change under the BBB rule. "I am not afraid of that at all." She added that they would soon develop new plans and "a really clear new line."

The European Commission judges national subsidy schemes to see whether they would cause unfair competition. The commission sees no problems in this case because the arrangement is relatively limited and also very necessary to reach European climate and nature goals.