Even if the government is generous, it is not a given that the provinces will be satisfied. North Holland has reacted furiously to the government's announcement that it is allocating 12 million euros to the province. The money must be used to take extra rapid measures to avert the nitrogen crisis. The province had asked for almost 80 million euros.
The government has reserved a total of 1.3 billion euros for rapid measures, it announced earlier this month. The amount has already been approved by the House of Representatives, but still has to be passed by the Senate. The agricultural provinces of North Brabant (222 million euros) and Overijssel (142 million), but also Utrecht (284 million) in particular receive a lot of money. Last summer, the provinces submitted their plans and their costs. These were then calculated by researchers from Wageningen University & Research on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture.
The money must be used to take measures that benefit (nitrogen-sensitive) nature, water and air quality. This varies from technical measures in farmers' stables to keeping fewer animals. If farmers keep fewer animals, they also earn less and have to look for other ways to earn extra money.
Agriculture representative of the province of North Holland Jelle Beemsterboer reacts – in a reaction published online – in exasperation to the amount awarded: “We have applied for 80 million to strengthen North Holland nature. But due to the apparent arbitrariness of the ministry, we are left with 12 million.” The agricultural representative is referring to the technical solutions included in the plan of the province of North Holland, which, according to him, have not been assessed by the government due to “time pressure”. According to him, only two of the seven projects have been assessed. “This cannot be explained.”
There has been more fuss about the financing of the provincial nitrogen approach. Two months ago, the province of Overijssel and the government were at odds. Then Overijssel even threatened to stop its approach if the government did not quickly provide money. The province had advanced millions from its own pocket, but was now fed up with this – money had to be provided. The province insisted on this in a letter. Ultimately, the province did not stop its approach.
The bickering between the government and the provinces symbolizes the sometimes very difficult relationship between the two. When the provinces announced their nitrogen plans last summer – a total of 58 billion euros – a spokesperson for Minister Christianne van der Wal (VVD, Nitrogen and Nature) said that the provincial approaches also contained “wishes and gifts” that had little to do with nitrogen. and especially benefited the living environment.
The less than diplomatic response that the province of North Holland published online has another cause in addition to the tight budget allocated: the fear of advancing farmers who will cause unrest in the province. More than a week ago, two hundred farmers with tractors suddenly stood in front of the provincial government building in Haarlem. Those farmers are in trouble, said the agricultural representative. If more money is not available to help farmers, there is a chance that resistance will grow in the province.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Quality and Nature (LNV) says that it was “as expected” that not every province would receive the same amount of money and emphasizes that the provincial plans have been “independently tested”.
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