The missing nature permit
The acute problem arose because a legally tenable nature permit had to be issued to Schiphol in the short term. It concerns a permit under the Nature Conservation Act, which must be applied for via the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.
Schiphol has had to ensure that nature is not damaged for some time, but that has been regulated for years via the so-called Habitats and Birds Directive. The airport assumed that this was sufficient. Separate nature permits did not exist at all when Schiphol was established more than a hundred years ago.
In 2019, the cabinet said that Schiphol must apply for a nature permit. During the nitrogen crisis, it turned out that Schiphol’s nitrogen emissions have an effect on nature. The airport must also comply with all kinds of environmental, odor and noise standards, especially to protect local residents.
Nature organizations have threatened legal action if there is no sound legal nature permit.
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