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Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality: 'Efficiency, effectiveness and public support'

News item | 16-09-2003

The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality is working to achieve sustainable agriculture, thriving natural habitats, a traditional rural environment and a high quality food supply while taking the concerns of the public into account.

This emerges from the Ministry's budget for 2004. Minister Cees Veerman wants to place the emphasis on efficiency and effectiveness. This should ease the burden on rural businesses. The government intends to involve the public directly in the development of policy on rural and food issues. The success of the policy will, after all, depend on the support of business and consumers.

EHS and reconstruction
The government will be spending an extra €700 million on the national ecological network and the resolution of problems in the reconstruction of sandy areas in the south and east of the Netherlands. An additional €60 million will be invested in 2004, rising to an extra €290 million in 2007. This means the Ministry will exceed anticipated spending by €49 million. But this will be largely offset by €43 million in additional revenue. This is chiefly attributable to funds received from the European Union to compensate for spending on combating fowl pest (expected to total €92 million).