Background and content

The European Nitrates Directive aims to reduce water pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources and to prevent further pollution. This directive stipulates, among other things, a maximum amount of animal manure that may be applied to or incorporated into the soil. The European Commission has allowed the Netherlands, in a so-called derogation decision, to deviate from this maximum as long as the Netherlands meets the conditions set by the European Commission. One of these conditions is that the national manure production ceiling in the Netherlands is not exceeded in 2025. To meet this condition, the reduction of manure production rights was introduced in the Dutch Fertilizers Act as of 1 January 2025. With the draft decisions on which the Advisory Division has now advised, the government intends to end the reduction of these manure production rights in the poultry and pig sectors as of 1 December 2025.

National manure production ceiling

Despite an expected exceedance of the national manure production ceiling in 2025, the government believes that the reduction of both poultry and pig rights can still be ended. For the poultry sector, this is based on uncertainty in the forecast by the Central Bureau of Statistics regarding the expected exceedance of the manure production ceiling. For the pig sector, preparations are being made for future proceeds from termination schemes.

Still expected exceedance

The Advisory Division emphasizes in its advice that the obligations in the derogation decision are not met if the national manure production ceiling is exceeded in 2025. The reduction of both rights was only introduced in the Fertilizers Act eleven months ago. Ending the measure now reverses it before it could have any effect. Meanwhile, the government previously stated that everything possible must be done to ensure that manure production in 2025 does not exceed the manure production ceiling. Such unstable policy can have negative consequences for the business climate. It is therefore more reasonable to end the reduction of both poultry and pig rights only after it is ensured that manure production does not exceed the ceilings established in the Fertilizers Act. This also ensures compliance with the manure ceiling prescribed in the derogation decision.

Conclusion

The Advisory Division therefore advises the government not to end the reduction of poultry and pig rights as of 1 December 2025.