The Flemish Government is seeking the advice of legal experts to examine what should be done in the light of the critical advice given by Council of State on the Nitrogen Emissions Reduction Bill that two of the three coalition parties support. The bill has the backing of the Flemish nationalists and the liberals. The other coalition party, the Christian democrats opposes the bill.
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Flemish Government to seek legal advice on Nitrogen Emissions Reduction Bill
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Speaking on Tuesday morning after an emergency meeting of the Flemish cabinet, the Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon (Flemish nationalist) said that “The advice given by the Council of State threatens to have a major impact on the people of Flanders, from the ordinary citizen to the biggest industrialist”.
The Nitrogen Emissions Reduction Bill
Flanders emits too much nitrogen and that is bad for nature and for people.
• A new Flemish law would curb emissions ally, but there is disagreement within the Flemish government about how this should be done.
• Last summer the Flemish nationalists and the liberals submitted a nitrogen emissions reduction bill decree to the Flemish Parliament. The other coalition party, the Christian democrats refused to back the bill.
• The Council of State has now issued critical advice on the bill.
The Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon convened an urgent meeting of the Flemish cabinet on Tuesday morning. After the meeting, Mr Jambon made a short statement.
"As you know, quite late last night we received the advice from the Council of State about the nitrogen bill that was submitted to the Flemish Parliament two months ago."
Mr Jambon added that he is aware that the Council of State’s advice threatens to have a major impact on the activities of all Flemish people: "Ranging from the ordinary citizen to the largest industrialist."
Food for thought for lawyers
Mr Jambon believes that time is now needed to first thoroughly analyse the advice given by the Council of State. This will be done by legal experts. First a lawyer from the Environment Department will make an inventory of the comments made by the Council of State. They will then sit down with three external lawyers and together they will examine the possibilities for finding a solution that will satisfy both the need to reduce nitrogen emissions and take into account the comments made by the Council of State. Their proposals will then be discussed with ministers and MPs.
Don't start from scratch
Before the emergency cabinet meeting, the Flemish Environment Minister Zuhal Demir (Flemish nationalist) underlined that the Council of State has given an advice and not passed a judgment (which is legally binding) on the bill.
"There's no point in standing still. The question is what we take on board from this advice and what we don't”. Ms Demir thinks the advice is far-reaching and unlike the Flemish farmers’ union Boerenbond, she does not want to start rewriting the bill again from scratch.