Groningen accommodates PAS reporters and reimburses legal fees | Veld-post.nl

Ten PAS reporters already gave a personal and emotional speech during the Commission meeting at the beginning of March about the situation they have found themselves in due to the government’s actions. The farmers also explained that they are in serious trouble. For example, banks no longer want to provide financing and therefore invoices can no longer be paid.

The suffering behind the PAS reports is great and the group has been in uncertainty for years. Groningen has a total of about 160 PAS detectors that still require a permit. Every livestock farmer who applies for legalization must pay around 1,600 euros for an environmental permit. This is laid down in the Fees Regulation. As an initiator, BBB, together with the CDA, the Party for the North, the PVV, Groninger Belang and the VVD, wants to accommodate these affected farmers by eliminating the legal costs and having them paid by the province. This has already happened in North Holland and Gelderland at the initiative of BBB.

Financing

The money comes from the provincial agricultural budget of 2023 and specifically from the pot intended for making agriculture more sustainable. PvdA and GroenLinks, among others, still had questions about this. ‘Isn’t reimbursing the costs of PAS reporters at the expense of the budget that would otherwise have gone towards sustainable agriculture?’, both factions wanted to know.

Deputy Bram Schmaal (Groninger Belang) was able to disappoint both factions and explained that all projects from 2023 that are underway to make agriculture more sustainable have been financed. The money that goes to the PAS reporters is therefore budget left over from 2023 and will be transferred to the 2024 agricultural budget.

Precedent effect

Member of Parliament Dick Hoogers of the Christian Union had a question about legal coverage and wanted to know whether there might still be a precedent. For example, if non-agricultural entrepreneurs want to submit an objection in the future and have to incur costs for this. “Can residents tell the province that questionable efforts are being left behind and that therefore no fees have to be paid?”

Schmaal: “This proposal is a well-defined whole and concerns the PAS detectors. This has now also happened in other provinces. Does it have a precedent at other levels? You do not have to submit any fees when submitting a statement. I can’t think of any similar situations. It is an initiative from the States and we only looked at whether this could be done.”

The deputy and petitioners ultimately managed to convince almost all factions, except for the Party for the Animals. The parties emphasized that the compensation is a ‘symbolic gesture’ and ‘a solution for the bleeding’, and that ultimately the government must come up with a solution for these entrepreneurs. All parties unanimously agreed on this.