The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), and the agricultural institute in Wageningen (WUR) also say that The Hague should not leave this issue solely to the provinces but should take back part of the control itself. This underlines the necessity for more decisive measures at the national level rather than waiting for what the provinces come up with.
Experts criticize the vague nitrogen plans proposed by the provinces, concluding that these plans are unfeasible and will not meet nature targets. Furthermore, the provinces claim they need at least double the 24 billion euros that the now-fallen Rutte-4 cabinet wanted to allocate. That amount was declared 'controversial' by Parliament, which effectively means that nothing has been done on the nitrogen issue since 2019.
The Dutch state is under pressure to tackle the nitrogen crisis, especially due to binding rulings by Dutch courts and the European Court of Justice, which have judged that the Netherlands is not doing enough to reduce nitrogen emissions. Because of the Natura2000 areas, the Netherlands should have been doing something for about twenty years to 'improve nature,' and decided at the time to achieve this by reducing nitrogen emissions.
The agricultural sector is central to this debate, as it remains one of the largest emitters of nitrogen in the Netherlands. This has led to calls for a significant reduction of the livestock population, a controversial proposal for many farmers. This has sparked farmers' protests, the establishment and rise of a new farmer-friendly rural party (BBB), but the Netherlands still does not adhere to earlier agreements with the EU.
In Dutch politics, the PVV and BBB are outspoken opponents of the 'mandatory reduction of the livestock population' due to compulsory European environmental and nature rules. There are also major reservations about this within the VVD and CDA, while elsewhere in Europe, farmers are protesting against nature improvements in agriculture. In the ongoing negotiations for the formation of a new Dutch government coalition, this issue could become a major obstacle.
The nitrogen debate thus remains a challenge for the Netherlands, which is trying to find a balance between protecting the environment and supporting the agricultural sector. With growing pressure from both national and European bodies, it will remain one of the most important challenges for Dutch politics and policymakers in the coming years.