Interim Ruling
In July 2025, the Administrative Jurisdiction Division already issued an interim ruling in this lawsuit filed by the Foundation for Tackling Abuses in Nature Management (Stamina). In that ruling, the Division concluded that the Provincial Executive of Flevoland had not demonstrated that “a population of five hundred red deer in the Oostvaardersplassen would be genetically diverse enough.” It instructed the Executive to make a new decision within sixteen weeks. The Executive did so in September 2025 by adding five additional conditions to the exemption, including the requirement to conduct scientific research into the genetic diversity of the red deer population in the Oostvaardersplassen.
Awaiting research results first
According to the Administrative Jurisdiction Division, the results of this scientific research must first be awaited before the Executive could grant an exemption for culling the red deer in the Oostvaardersplassen. The Nature Conservation Act stipulates that an exemption can only be granted if it does not undermine the objective of maintaining the population in the area in a “favorable conservation status.” This requirement must be met before measures to prevent damage to the red deer population can be attached as conditions to the exemption. Therefore, scientific research into the effects of culling to a target population of five hundred on the genetic diversity of the red deer population in the Oostvaardersplassen must be conducted before the exemption is granted. The assessment of whether this requirement is met must not depend on future and thus uncertain research results after culling has begun. For these reasons, the Administrative Jurisdiction Division annuls the granted exemption and the Provincial Executive of Flevoland must reconsider the application to cull the red deer.