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The EU regulations are set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, and require gas suppliers to measure methane emissions. They could later allow th

The EU regulations are set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, and require gas suppliers to measure methane emissions. They could later allow the EU to block the most polluting imports from its market, NU.nl reports. The Netherlands is part of a 12-country coalition pushing for a three-year delay. This comes even as most EU members continue to support the climate policy. The push is unfolding amid growing concerns about gas availability. A recent disruption linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz reduced global supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG), a form of natural gas that has been cooled into liquid for transport by ship over long distances. At the same time, European gas storage levels are already relatively low heading into winter. Oil industry groups and analysts at Wood Mackenzie warn the rules could lead to shortages. Their research, commissioned by two industry associations, estimates that nearly 50% of gas imports and about 90% of oil imports would not comply with the standards next year. They say this raises risks for Europe’s energy security. The United States, under President Donald Trump, is also lobbying against the policy. U.S. ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder told the Financial Times the rules “could still trigger an energy crisis at a time when Europe cannot afford it.” Environmental organizations strongly oppose any delay. A coalition of NGOs wrote to the European Commission in April. They said, “Stable regulation is essential for energy security.” They also said, “implementation, not renegotiation, is the only credible option.” They point to Rystad Energy analysis arguing that sufficient compliant global gas supply already exists.

#nehterlands #eu #eu methane emissions regulations #3 year delay mooted #energy security #short sighted #climate crisis

The Dutch government will set aside 22.9 million euros in the coming years to improve safety for LGBTI people, as new research showing troub

The Dutch government will set aside 22.9 million euros in the coming years to improve safety for LGBTI people, as new research showing troubling attitudes among students has prompted concern among senior officials. A study published earlier this week found that nearly half of Dutch students believe people with a different sexual orientation are not equal, and fewer than one in three support holding Paarse Vrijdag in all schools. Paarse Vrijdag is a day when students and pupils can show solidarity with LGBTI people by wearing purple. State Secretary Judith Tielen (Education, VVD) called the findings alarming. “As long as people are still being excluded for who they are and whom they love, we must take action against it. And as long as women are not simply safe to walk the streets, there is work to be done. Everyone must be able to feel safe being themselves.”

#nehterlands #lgbtqia community #safety #money allocation #changing attitudes #lgbtqia equality

The number of Dutch citizens holding membership in political parties has reached levels not seen since the mid-1980s, according to a report

The number of Dutch citizens holding membership in political parties has reached levels not seen since the mid-1980s, according to a report released Friday by the Documentation Centre for Dutch Political Parties at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. As of January 1, 2026, combined party membership totaled 448,100, an increase of more than 57,000 over the previous year, NRC reports. For decades, fewer than 400,000 people in the Netherlands held membership in any political party. Forum voor Democratie, a radical-right party, remains the largest with over 70,000 members. The party submitted an accountant’s statement confirming its reported membership, the center said. The Party for Freedom (PVV), which holds the most seats among radical parties in the Tweede Kamer with 19 seats, is not included in the membership data because only founder Geert Wilders is a member. Almost all parties with seats in the Tweede Kamer gained members over the past year. Exceptions include the NSC, founded by Pieter Omtzigt, which lost one-third of its members after exiting parliament in November, and BBB, which saw its membership drop by 7.9 percent.

The fascist FvD may be the largest party but it only has 7 of 150 seats in the lower house.

#nehterlands #dutch politics #party memberships

The Dutch may be the part-time champions of Europe, but their working lives are also longer than those of any other EU nationals, according

The Dutch may be the part-time champions of Europe, but their working lives are also longer than those of any other EU nationals, according to new figures from Eurostat. The European statistics agency calculates that the Dutch work for an average of 43.8 years, which is six years longer than the average EU resident. The state pension age in the Netherlands is 67. EU residents work an average of 37.2 years, but more than 40 in six countries, including Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland and the Netherlands. The shortest working lives – at less than 33 years – are in Italy and Romania. Europeans are, however, working longer. In 2015, the average career lasted less than 35 years and has lengthened steadily since then, with a dip during the coronavirus pandemic.

This month I've been employed for 40 years in the same department at the university hospital.

#nehterlands #working lives #european record

Dutch farmers and flower growers are teaming up to reduce nitrogen emissions.

Between farming animals and growing flowers, the Netherlands has a high level of nitrogen emissions.

While the government is looking for large-scale legislative solutions, part of the answer could be an old, tried-and-tested recipe: using nitrogen from animal manure in horticultural greenhouses.

By doing so, farmers get rid of their surplus nitrogen and horticulturists use less gas.

Wouter Duijvesteijn, a chrysanthemum grower in Hoek van Holland is already pioneering this technique. His flowers at the Beyond Chrysant nursery have been fed with this new recipe for a week now and he’s already impressed with the results.

“You can see how healthy they look. I can't say they're smiling, but I know they're having a good time,” he jokes.

This should have been happening decades ago, but capitalism favoured artificial fertilizers which require large amounts of energy to produce.

#nehterlands #agriculture #nox emissions #horticulture #cow urine

Parliamentarians Wybren van Haga, Olaf Ephraim and Hans Smolders said they are leaving far-right nationalist political party FvD due to the manner in which the party is operated. The three will keep their seats in the Tweede Kamer and form their own party instead.

It will immediately knock FvD out of the eight largest parties in the Tweede Kamer, dropping their seats in the lower house of Parliament from eight to five. While the three said that they were on good terms with the FvD despite their decision, it followed two weeks of simmering issues between Van Haga, the party's number two vote-getter, and party leader Thierry Baudet.

"Recently, a difference of opinion has arisen within the FvD faction about the way in which politics is conducted," Van Haga, Ephraim and Smolders said in a press release.

Baudet said in Parliament earlier on Wednesday that he refused to get tested for the coronavirus, despite experiencing symptoms that could indicate infection. "I had the flu. With a fever. Maybe the ordinary flu, maybe the corona flu. I don't know," he told reporters. He also confirmed he attended an April 15 wine tasting event with several other party members who later tested positive for the virus about the same time Baudet was ill.

They knew Baudet was a covid-sceptic from the beginning. Why act as if this is news to them?

#nehterlands #dutch politics #covid19 pandemic #fvd #far-right #antilockdown party #baudet

Environmental groups hail appeals court ruling ordering Shell's Nigerian subsidiary to compensate farmers whose land was polluted

A Dutch court has ordered Shell’s local subsidiary in Nigeria to compensate four farmers whose land was damaged by oil leaks in 2004 and 2005.

The appeals court in The Hague said Shell Nigeria was responsible for multiple cases of oil pollution in the long-running case, a test of how far Netherlands-based multinational companies are accountable for their actions overseas.

The court also ruled Royal Dutch Shell, the parent company, was not liable in the case but must do more to install leak detection systems in its pipes.

Friday’s decision can be appealed to the Dutch Supreme Court.

“Tears of joy here. After 13 years, we've won,” Friends of the Earth's Dutch branch tweeted after the verdict was announced.

Good. This is just the beginning. Shell, Eni of Italy, and Total of France have destroyed much more than the livelihoods of four farmers.

More info on the court rulings can be found here.

#nehterlands #nigeria #niger delta #royal dutch shell #pollution liability #court case #environment #oil pollution