Farmers' union lodges appeal against nitrogen decree
Farmers’ union Boerenbond has lodged an appeal with the Constitutional Court against the Flemish decree on nitrogen emissions, it said on Tuesday. The decree is one of the elements that have fuelled recent discontent among the farming community in Flanders.
At the end of January, the Flemish Parliament approved a revised version of the decree, which requires a sharp reduction in emissions by 2030.
The union’s appeal criticises the targets for not being based on sufficient scientific evidence, as well as for discriminating between the agricultural sector and industry and mobility. It also objects to the maximum level of ammonia emissions that must be achieved after 2030 for each pig, beef or poultry farm.
“The decree limits entrepreneurship by members of the sector, and offers neither prospects nor legal certainty,” said union president Lode Ceyssens. “We are calling on the government to adopt a new emissions reduction policy as soon as possible that offers opportunities to all entrepreneurs in Flanders.”
#FlandersNewsService | Flemish farmers protest in Brussels against the proposed nitrogen decree, March 2023 © BELGA PHOTO JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE
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