Environmental groups are set to initiate a series of legal actions against Dutch farmers operating without proper environmental permits. Mobilisation for the Environment (MOB) and Vereniging Leefmilieu plan to file ten lawsuits weekly targeting farms they claim are operating illegally due to a previously invalidated permit system.

The legal challenges stem from a 2019 court decision that struck down the government’s nature permit system. This decision left approximately 2,500 businesses, primarily livestock farmers, in a precarious situation, as they had been informed that they did not require a permit for expanding their operations as long as they monitored and reported nitrogen pollution.

The lawsuits are intended to pressure the government to address the ongoing issue of nitrogen pollution. The organizations argue that the targeted farms are contributing to the problem and need to be held accountable.

The initial wave of legal proceedings will focus on farms in the province of Limburg, with subsequent actions planned for Gelderland, Friesland, and other provinces. The environmental organizations also intend to lobby provincial authorities to revoke the licenses of large-scale stables and other significant polluters.

While Caretaker Agriculture Minister Femke Wiersma proposed a three-year amnesty for affected businesses, the Council of State advised her to reconsider the plan. MOB spokesman Johan Vollenbroek indicated a willingness to discuss a grace period for farmers, but emphasized that it must be accompanied by a genuine solution to the nitrogen pollution issue. Vollenbroek stressed the need for a comprehensive approach to resolve the nitrogen pollution crisis.