Alert · Proposal · 13 October 2026

Government nitrogen package: farm standards and zones around nature

What is happening

On 26 June 2026 the government presented a nitrogen package. Dairy farms get a standard of 0.164 kilos of ammonia per phosphate right in 2035; standards for poultry, pigs and calves follow in early 2027. A land-based standard of 2.6 livestock units per hectare is introduced, plus an extra zone of 500 or 1,000 metres around about 100 nitrogen-sensitive areas. The government allocates €2 billion for adapting barns and feed and €9 billion for a support package with the provinces. The bill with the new nitrogen targets was expected to go to parliament in October.

Who it matters to

For agrarisch. Determines how much emission a livestock farm will still be allowed and what support is coming to achieve it.

Source: Rijksoverheid