Outgoing minister Blok expects that the cabinet will not take a final decision before March next year on a permit for gas extraction under the Wadden Sea. He said that in a debate in the House of Representatives.
Last month it was announced that the outgoing Minister of Economic Affairs intends to authorize NAM for extraction at Ternaard. According to him, research has shown that gas extraction is possible in a way that is safe for people and the environment and that the consequences for subsidence are limited.
He believes that there are no legal options to refuse the permit if all legal conditions have been met. “But opinions can still be submitted that may give rise to amendments to the draft decisions,” he wrote to the House this week.
Chamber does its own research
Blok’s approach has been widely criticized. Nature organizations, the Provincial Council of Friesland and part of the House, among others, believe that new gas extraction under the Wadden Sea should no longer be allowed. The House itself first has legal investigations carried out to determine whether extraction can be stopped. D66 MP Boucke, among others, asked Blok not to take “irreversible steps” before the House has received the advice and has been able to discuss it.
Blok said that he cannot simply intervene in an ongoing procedure. He repeated that the gas extraction will not cause demonstrable damage. “But there are opportunities for both sides to be heard and that part is now underway.” He asked the House to have the investigation on the table in time, so that the cabinet and the House can discuss it again in January, for example. He expects the final decision in March.
One million dollar question
Part of the House calls on the cabinet not to grant a permit as long as it is still resigned. But according to Blok, that is “not possible under the rule of law”. He emphasized that the cabinet makes a decision about a permit on the basis of the conditions set by the law, whether it is caretaker or not.
When asked whether Blok expects there to be a missionary cabinet in March, he replied: “That is the one million dollar question. The interesting thing is that the Chamber is about that, and I am not.”
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