European law takes precendence over Dutch law in nitrogen issue
Statements made by Caroline van der Plas about nitrogen emissions and European law are incorrect: Armin Cuvyers on Dutch radio EenVandaag programme’s item ‘fact or fiction’.
During the recent electoral campaign for the Dutch provincial councils, the leader of the Dutch Farmer-Citizen Movement (BoerBugerBeweging, BBB), Caroline van der Plas, said on several occasions that reducing nitrogen emissions was not imposed by the EU, but invented by the Dutch State. In the item Feit of Fictie Armin Cuyvers, Professor of European Law in Leiden, explains why this statement is incorrect. European law does impose mandatory requirements on the Netherlands to reduce nitrogen emissions. What’s more, these requirements take precedence over Dutch law. National or provincial standards that are in violation of European requirements will therefore be nullified by the Dutch courts. The radio fragment (in Dutch) can be listened to here.