The BoerBurgerBeweging has become the largest party in all 12 provinces during the last Provincial Council elections. What consequences can this have for Dutch nature? We are in the Deurnsche Peel, a nature reserve that suffers greatly from desiccation and an excessively high concentration of nitrogen. Marcel Berkvens, second on the list of BBB in the province of North Brabant, wants to halve the number of Natura 2000 areas. He also thinks that nitrogen emissions should be halved, but only in 2025 and does not want farmers to be forced to stop. Raoul Beunen, associate professor of environmental management at the Open University, is a guest in the studio.
According to Beunen, a number of the BBB’s campaign points are legally virtually impossible in advance. Consider, for example, the halving of the number of Natura 2000 areas, nature areas that are strictly protected by European regulations. The 50 percent reduction of nitrogen in 2030 is a breaking point for the BBB during coalition formation, but the provinces have no say in this. This is determined by national policy.
