Brussels denies warning Netherlands on Schiphol flight reduction
The European Commission has denied warning the Dutch government about legal risks tied to its original plan to reduce flights at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. This contradicts statements made by Infrastructure Minister Barry Madlener, who cited such warnings as justification for softening the proposed cuts.
The Netherlands has been under pressure to reduce air traffic at Schiphol due to noise pollution impacting local residents. In a rare move for a major international airport, the government initially announced plans to cut flights by 17 percent, capping operations at 467,000 annually. Earlier this month, however, the Cabinet revised the reduction target to 15 percent, allowing for a maximum of 478,000 flights starting next year.
Madlener, a member of the right-wing PVV party, defended the revision, claiming the original plan posed a "serious risk" within ongoing European notification processes. He told parliament that the European Commission had warned the original reduction target was "legally vulnerable."
The Commission firmly disputes this claim. In response to questions from de Volkskrant, a spokesperson said Brussels never issued a legal warning. Instead, officials merely requested data on the flight limits to evaluate whether the proposed restrictions complied with EU law.
The Infrastructure Ministry has doubled down on Madlener's remarks. A spokesperson said, “We took that signal very seriously," but declined to provide further details, citing confidentiality in communications with the Commission.
Members of parliament expressed surprise over the conflicting accounts and are demanding clarity. Habtamu de Hoop of GroenLinks-PvdA and Wytske Postma of the centrist NSC party called for full transparency in next week's debate.
"The Chamber needs to be properly informed when decisions of this magnitude are made," said Postma. De Hoop accused Madlener of working to undo the proposed cuts.
"This minister has been doing everything for months to reverse Schiphol's flight reduction," De Hoop said.
Eline Vedder of the CDA criticized Madlener's handling of the situation, calling it "amateurish finger-pointing."
"This is damaging for the Netherlands' position in Europe and distracts from meaningful discussions about Schiphol's future," Vedder said.
Madlener's stance reflects a departure from his predecessor, Mark Harbers of the VVD, who prioritized addressing noise complaints from local residents. Harbers' efforts were partly driven by a court ruling earlier this year that found the government had consistently placed the interests of the aviation sector above those of residents.
Under Madlener's leadership, the government has not only eased the flight reduction target but also delayed a proposed ban on nighttime operations at Schiphol. Critics say Madlener has aligned closely with the aviation industry, instructing ministry officials to engage more frequently with airline stakeholders.
