If the life of the Flemish government is poisoned by the file relating to nitrogen, in Wallonia, it is not so. For what ? “Because 94% of the pigs raised in Belgium are raised in Flanders”, we explain to the office of Willy Borsus (MR), Walloon Minister in charge of Agriculture. There are indeed a few intensive pig farms in Wallonia and these are obviously affected by the nitrogen plan. “But the agricultural model in Wallonia is very different”, insists the Borsus cabinet. The Flemish government cannot agree on the PGDA (Sustainable Nitrogen Management Programme). This is not the case of Wallonia. “It is a plan that the Regions must adopt every 4 years. Ours passed 10 days ago to the Walloon government without incident. VSIt was exactly on February 22 that the Walloon government agreed on this text.
For Jan Jambon, the hunt for nitrogen turns into a nightmare
The file is eminently environmental, and it is therefore the Minister Céline Tellier (Ecolo) in charge of the Environment who carries the text. “This update aims to strengthen the protection of groundwater from pollution by nitrates from agriculture and to put an end to the litigation procedure opened against Wallonia by the European Commission in 2014”explains Céline Tellier.
Avoid excess
The new version of the PGDA allows several advances as detailed by the Green Minister: “First of all, the specificities of the soils must be taken into account in order to adjust the spreading of nitrogen and thus avoid an excessive supply and the risk of runoff. Then there is the establishment a register of nitrogen fertilizations to strengthen the control of compliance with spreading standards. Finally, there is a reduction of storage times outside infrastructure, reducing its impact on the environment”.
“The crisis within the Flemish government is total”
These various modifications make it possible to reinforce the standards in force for the protection of water against the pollution of nitrates resulting from agriculture, it is advanced on the side of the Walloon government. “In addition to other measures to preserve groundwater, the objective is therefore to preserve the quality of groundwater in the area, reduce eutrophication and the risks for fauna and flora, while meeting European requirements in terms of matter. Significant consultation was set up with the agricultural sector from the outset of the revision, in order to take into account the realities on the ground and to properly coordinate the measures with those put in place via the Common Agricultural Policy”. concludes the minister.