Dutch government decision angers growers

Last week ’s leaked info has now been confirmed : the Dutch administration will let in the nursery horticulture sphere in the newfangled EU Emissions Trading System ( ETS-2 ) and usher in a compulsory blend requirement for unripened accelerator . Although the government plans to recompense the sector for these summate price , it remains incertain whether the European Commission will sanction the subsidy . The Dutch glasshouse growers ' tie ( Glastuinbouw Nederland ) has alreadyexpressed concern , indicating little self-confidence in the proposed measures .

Green gasThe obligation to immix green accelerator pedal into the gas supply is expected to lead to increase price for greenhouse grower . Studies show that the extra costs could amount to as much as 10 % . By 2030 , gas prices for the sector could arise by € 0,04 to 0,12 per three-dimensional metre .

To break the impact , the government will turn down the green gasoline blend requirement by 25 % and delay its effectuation until 2027 . Compensation will only proceed if it complies with EU state aid rules and match within the national Recovery and Resilience Plan . Additionally , € 200 million from the Climate Fund will be made available to support the sector in transitioning to sustainable alternative like district heating and affordable electricity . This support package will be further rise in collaboration with the sector and officially presented on the Dutch Budget Day ( September 16 ) in 2025 .

ETS-2 inclusionAlso in 2027 , the entire horticultural sector will be included in the EU ’s expanded carbon trading system , ETS-2 . presently , only a few of the Netherlands ' largest growers are part of it . The government activity argues that exclude the sphere from ETS-2 is not an choice . As a result , the existing Dutch CO₂ levy for greenhouse gardening will be replaced by engagement in ETS-2 . The sphere will receive fiscal compensation tantamount to the CO₂ Leontyne Price involve to get together its 2030 residuary emissions target of 4.3 million tons - estimated at € 42.50 per net ton of CO₂ ( a last physique will be direct in August ) .

There is one exclusion : for live task under the Dutch renewable energy subsidy dodge ( SDE ) , no accommodation will be made for the introduction of ETS-2 , since companies had already factored this into their original subsidy applications .

DissatisfactionThese additional measure have been meet with discontent from the horticultural sphere . Glastuinbouw Nederland had antecedently lobby against these decisiveness , but their efforts were unsuccessful . Alexander Formsma , Energy & Climate Policy Specialist at Glastuinbouw Nederland , state in a press handout that the measures severely counteract the sector ’s viability and capacity for origination . The organisation criticize the government activity ’s one-sided decision , which they argue contradict the vigor agreement and a widely support parliamentary motion that called for the sphere to be included in ETS-2 only with the consent of all party involved in the agreement .

For the past decade , the horticultural sector has function under its own CO₂ emissions system , which was lay down in a 2012 concord with the political science to assemble clime goal for 2030 and achieve climate disinterest by 2040 . Despite being one of the first sector in Europe to pay for its emission , the sector now faces increase challenge in becoming more sustainable due to grid congestion , nitrogen issues , and slow permitting process . While Glastuinbouw Nederland welcome the regime ’s design to allocate an extra € 200 million to assist growers in this transition , they take note that this support is still in its early stage , whereas the government is already imposing additional costs .

The sphere ’s climate ambition were already supported by an yearly increment in the CO₂ levy en masse . This class , the sector also face a importantly gamey vigour revenue enhancement due to the Climate Tax Measures Act , passed in recent 2023 . The government acknowledge that these meter provide sufficient incentives to become more sustainable , as confirmed by a theme on Budget Day .

Glastuinbouw Nederland says Dutch horticulture does n’t need any fresh regularisation to meet the CO2 - goal , they made an agreement with the Dutch government . The novel measures are , again , raising the energy costs for growers .

Formsma says : " Despite it not being necessary to accomplish the climate ambition , the console is opt for even higher energy costs in the sector with ETS-2 and the blending obligation . "

business organisation about state aidFormsma guide out that the government ’s architectural plan to cover these extra cost is complicated . It ’s unreadable if the EU will sanction this financial aid since the industriousness is trying to reduce reliance on fossil fuel subsidies . The regime ’s plan seems deficient , leading to concerns about whether business concern will get compensated for these extra energy costs on metre and in full .

question the value of the agreementGlastuinbouw Nederland has intercommunicate its objections to the government regarding the proposed decision . In line of credit with the energy understanding , the sphere hopes to work with the politics to grow a new plan that avoids excessive pricing and provides agriculturalist with actionable option . If these concerns are not adequately addressed by September 16 , Glastuinbouw Nederland may reconsider the term of the agreement .

Nitrogen issuesLTO Nederland , an agricultural brass , has also commented on the government activity ’s plans , pore particularly on the politics ’s design to remove N restriction in the Netherlands . LTO Chairman Ger Koopmans refer that reducing nitrogen emission by 40 % will be a big challenge for the Department of Agriculture and gardening sector . They are ready to harness this challenge , but only if the necessary effectual changes are made and approved by both legislative sleeping accommodation this twelvemonth . According to Koopmans , as the law stands now , reducing emissions does n’t allow for any pragmatic welfare for farmer and growers .

The cabinet explains its choices in this message(in Dutch )