GroenLinks describes the interim plan as amazing. “This outgoing treasury allows us to begin drilling for gas, one of the most harmful fossil fuels. And that’s in a unique nature reserve. Does this treasury have no idea how urgent the climate catastrophe is happening?” Member of Parliament Laura Promett.
On September 15, the House of Representatives will debate the extraction of gas and salt in the Wadden Sea. Objections can be submitted until October 7 against the temporary zoning decision.
Protracted case
Three Ministers of Economic Affairs have now examined the issue. Blok’s predecessor, then-Minister Van Woot, had already announced in February that the NAM (Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij) license may not be legally denied. “The decision-making process requires a great deal of care,” Van Woot wrote to the House of Representatives.
The draft decision to extract the gas at Tyrnard was already managed by Wiebes, Van ‘t Wout’s predecessor. It was agreed with the Non-Aligned Movement and the regional authorities that those authorities would receive 60 million euros of income from the Tyrnard gas field if gas production continued against their will.
According to the ministry, there are not enough alternatives to natural gas yet. Therefore, new fields must be exploited.
