Production ceiling (nitrogen and phosphate)

The Netherlands must adhere to the ceiling imposed on animal manure production as part of the Nitrates Directive. That ceiling is 170 kg nitrogen per hectare. The Netherlands may exceed this ceiling under certain conditions (derogation). The conditions under which derogation is granted were tightened further in 2023.

One condition for derogation is that the excretion of phosphate in livestock manure in the Netherlands must not exceed 150.7 million kg as of 1 January 2022. The maximum level for nitrogen excretion is set at 489.4 million kg. In the derogation decision of 30 September 2022, production ceilings were set by the European Commission as equal to amounts produced by livestock in the Netherlands in 2020.

As of 2023, that derogation is being phased out, and from 2026 the Netherlands will no longer be granted any derogation. In 2025, the production ceilings will be reduced to 440 million kg of nitrogen and 135 million kg of phosphate. In order to remain below future ceilings, nitrogen production as calculated for 2023 must fall by 6 percent and phosphate production by 7 percent.

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