By 
Uliana Kalinina
Landsmann -. Unsplash. 2024.
The Dutch government decided to move the deadline to halve nitrogen emissions. The decision was made in light of the continuing nitrogen crisis that has been a problem for the Netherlands for years. The decision also goes against EU legislation and a national court order.
On Friday, April 24th, the Dutch government announced the decision to move the deadline to halve nitrogen emissions from 2030 to 2035. It goes against the recent Dutch court order that ruled the government to adhere to the 2030 deadline and the European Union (EU) level Habitats Directive.
The Habitats Directive is a document that prescribes the EU countries to preserve, maintain, and restore endangered species and habitat types. The European Commission has not yet outwardly stated that the delay does not comply with the directive, but environmental protection experts argue that the document requires swift action. Apart from the EU-level legislation, Dutch domestic courts also take the side of environmentalists. In January of this year, a court ordered the government to cut its emissions by 2030 in a case brought by Greenpeace. The government was accused of not taking enough measures against the use of fertilisers and heavy farming activities. If the emission goals are not met by the year 2030, the Netherlands will receive a fine of Ten million euros.
Nitrogen emissions negatively impact terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems as the loss of biodiversity leads to oxygen deficiency (de Vries, 2021). Therefore, through air, soil, and water pollution, they can harm human health. Moreover, nitrogen dioxide, when in large concentrations, can pose a direct threat to human health. The issue of nitrogen emissions has been present in the Netherlands for decades, where the main source of pollution is farming, in particular the use of manure and fertilisers.
Despite the government’s best efforts, farmers do not always agree with the necessity of lowering emissions levels. There have been a number of protests against lowering nitrogen emissions over the years. In 2019 the Dutch deputy prime minister announced the need for serious action to lower nitrogen emissions. The proposed measures, which included buyouts and shutting down farms, were met with outrage from the farmers, as it was not clear if they would have much choice in the matter. What started with the protest tractor rally toward the Hague grew into a series of demonstrations all across the country. Since then, the Dutch government is forced to walk a very thin line between complying with the EU green legislation and not upsetting its own farmers.
Thus, apart from pushing the deadlines for lowering emissions levels, the Dutch government is also working to push less environmentally friendly legislation. For example, they propose to change the way in which the level of pollution is measured — instead of measuring the levels of emissions in protected areas, they suggest taking measurements at the level of individual farms and factories. Such a way to measure pollution would not be helpful for the objectives of the Habitats Directive and would not provide necessary information on the deterioration of protected areas. Environmental and legal experts warn that this proposal may not meet the legal standards of emission evaluation in the EU.
The decision to move the deadline for halving emissions is a concerning development for human rights. In particular, the European citizens’ right to health will be impacted as they will continue to be exposed to unhealthy levels of pollution. Prolonged exposure of certain areas to pollution will also render them dangerous or impractical for human use, forcing people to move to different areas. This, combined with the proposal to change the methodology of emissions measurements, shows a dangerous tendency to not adhere to the EU-level legislation.
The Netherlands nitrogen crisis and the transfer of the deadline show how challenging it can be to find compromises when implementing environmental policy. It also shows the importance of firm actions and clear communication between the government and the stakeholders.
Over the years, the government did not manage to convince its citizens of the necessity of lowering nitrogen emissions. Now, the country is at a crossroads: on one side, there are farmers that are not surrendering their farms, on the other, the court ruling with a clear prescription to reduce the emissions. Whatever the next move in the so-called “nitrogen wars” will be, it is important to remember that at the centre of the issue is the health and well-being of European citizens.
Sources and further readings:
Bart H. Meijer. Netherlands ordered by court to slash nitrogen emissions by 2030. Reuters
European Commission. The Habitats Directive.
Maria Simon Arboleas. The Netherlands’ plan to break free of its nitrogen ‘lock’. Euractiv.
Paul Tullis. Nitrogen wars: the Dutch farmers’ revolt that turned a nation upside-down. The Guardian
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