The Senate postpones a decision on closing the Groningen gas tap

• Marleen de Rooy

  Political reporter

• Albert Simons

  politics The Hague

In the Senate, BBB, VVD, PVV, JA21, Forum for Democracy, SGP and 50Plus first want more information about security of supply before they can vote for the bill that will completely close the gas tap in Groningen

The Senate has therefore decided to postpone consideration of the proposal to permanently close the tap. The plan was to deal with it next Tuesday.

VVD Member of Parliament Van den Berg said that not all questions about security of supply have yet been answered and he first wants to await the discussion in the House of Representatives of a law on the ‘gas market’: “Let’s not just look at one interest,” he added. On. “In a rapidly changing geopolitical world, we must also pay attention to security of supply. There is a high demand for energy throughout the Netherlands.”

Other parties are afraid that the formation parties will use this postponement so that they can use the gas tap again in the future. The forming parties reject that. According to the VVD, it is not the intention to continue drilling.

GroenLinks-PvdA spokesperson Crone spoke of a procedural opportunity argument and Senator Visseren of the Party for the Animals spoke of a new low in confidence in the government.

Last month, the House of Representatives approved by an overwhelming majority the plan of outgoing State Secretary Vijlbrief to fill the gas extraction sites with concrete, so that the gas tap can then be closed permanently. According to the House of Representatives, this must happen as soon as possible (the original planning was October 1).

Vijlbrief is surprised and disappointed about the postponement of the proceedings in the Senate. He points out that 146 of the 150 members in the House of Representatives voted in favor of closing the wells. According to him, the Senate is entitled to ask questions for reasons of care, but this should not lead to a long delay in closing the wells.

The Groningen field can never be used for security of supply, because it causes earthquakes and that harms the safety of the people of Groningen, says Vijlbrief.

He will do his best to answer the Senate’s questions “as quickly as possible”. According to him, it is really only about one thing and that is “restoring confidence for the people of Groningen”.

They were promised this after the parliamentary inquiry into gas extraction. Vijlbrief hopes to provide the Senate with an explanation shortly. “Let’s deal with this this month so that the wells can be closed.”