Environmental protection: Netherlands: Court forces government to do more environmental protection

The Netherlands must take much stricter conservation measures after a court ruling. Farmers in the country are threatened with stricter environmental regulations. The civil judges in The Hague ruled that the state is doing far too little to combat the damage to nature caused by nitrogen emissions, especially from agriculture. The court upheld a lawsuit brought by the environmental organization Greenpeace.

The government must now ensure that harmful emissions of nitrogen compounds in at least 50 percent of nature reserves are reduced so drastically by the end of 2030 that they no longer exceed the permitted limit. The ruling could have major consequences for intensive livestock farming and is a blow to the right-wing coalition.

The populist farmers’ protest party BBB has been part of the coalition government since 2024 and vehemently rejects interventions such as reducing livestock numbers.

Farmers’ associations and right-wing parties reacted indignantly. The radical right-wing populist Geert Wilders rejected stricter requirements. The Netherlands “just needs a relaxation of nitrogen rules and targets,” said the leader of the largest ruling party on X. Agriculture Minister Marije Wiersma was disappointed. She will examine the verdict carefully and consider filing an appeal. Farmers’ associations warned of catastrophic consequences for farmers and called for the laws to be adjusted.

Environmentalists, however, welcomed the verdict and called on the government to act quickly. Plaintiff Greenpeace spoke of a “celebration for nature.”

Government acts unlawfully

The court declared that the government was violating its own laws. If the legally enshrined targets are not achieved by the end of 2030, the state could face a fine of ten million euros.

The measures taken so far are inadequate. In addition, a previously decided nitrogen reduction program was canceled. To date, no new measures have been adopted, the judges complained.

Problems have been known for years

The state had argued that stricter measures were unfeasible and would have major economic consequences. But the judges did not accept the argument. It has been known for years that the previous measures were not enough.

For years, the condition of natural areas in the Netherlands has been deteriorating due to harmful nitrogen compounds. The main cause of this is livestock farming through ammonia. But interventions have so far failed due to fierce resistance from farmers. Farmers have protested massively and violently against environmental regulations several times in recent years – including by blocking highways.