German-Dutch three-state meeting

In particular, Adema referred to bluetongue, bird flu and African swine fever, all of which affect the three neighbours. The spread of these animal diseases does not stop at national borders, which is why they must be combated jointly and across borders. The Minister also complimented the already good cooperation between the Dutch and German authorities in the event of outbreaks. Nevertheless, the three-state meeting provides an important opportunity to further intensify cooperation.

The hosting Minister Miriam Staudte also emphasized the importance of cooperation in the prevention of animal diseases and pointed out that cooperation is vital for achieving the objectives of the Green Deal as well. Her counterpart from North Rhine-Westphalia, Silke Gorißen, recalled during Agritechnica that the dialogue with and the strengthening of farmers was essential. Farmers are the ones who guarantee our food security and preserve the cultural landscape.

The implementation of the Nitrates Directive was another important topic of discussion. The ministers agreed that in addition to the data exchange that is already happening and working well for a number of years the establishment of a central electronic reporting database for manure would be a suitable instrument to ensure the efficient monitoring of manure transports.

With regard to cooperation in the fight against African swine fever, the Netherlands, together with North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, agreed to select measures of the according European Regulation in order to reduce current restrictions.