Farmers’ struggle is world news. The nitrogen crisis sometimes seems like a typical Dutch problem, but it is not. Other European countries such as China also need to reduce nitrogen emissions.
“When it comes to absolute numbers, China is the leader in nitrogen emissions,” says Professor Wim de Vries (Wacheningen University). Against RTL news. “In some parts of the country they emit more per hectare than we do, but on average it’s lower across the country.”
And that magnifies the problem in the Netherlands: we are small and densely populated. But again: “Farms are closed in China too.”
Our eastern neighbors have it easy for now. The threshold value for nitrogen is 100 g/ha, 140 times higher than ours (0.7 g/ha in the Natura 2000 area). “It’s a big country, so the average emissions are much lower than ours,” says de Vries.
However, Germany also has regional issues. “There’s really no room for extra nitrogen there. If the environmentalists go to court there, I expect the limit value for the permit will go toward zero. They have the law on their side.”
Angry Belgian peasants
In Belgium, the farmers are just as angry as we are. Government closes 40 livestock farms that emit too much nitrogen 120 companies are being acquired.
According to the European Court, Italy also does not ‘formally’ comply with the nitrogen standards, but that is mainly due to transport. “The problem here is mainly in the cities,” Italian reporter Anouk Poon told RTL. “Italy is a big car country. The car is a kind of status symbol.”
The same goes for the United Kingdom. There too traffic is mainly blamed. Reporter Anne Saenen: “From 2040, no diesel or petrol cars will be sold.”
proof’s): RTL news