Statement during debate on the Wadden Sea in the House of Representatives

For the sake of completeness, we are sharing the text that the relevant administrators of these five authorities sent to The Hague:

On January 25, during the Wadden Sea Committee debate, you will discuss, among other things, the power cables and governance for the Wadden Sea. Your debate touches on our powers and responsibilities in this area. As northern administrators, we would therefore like to jointly present the following points to you, as representatives of the people involved, in preparation for this debate:
 

• The Wadden Sea is a unique nature reserve that we must cherish. When connecting wind farms to Eemshaven, careful consideration must be given to how this can be achieved in the most nature-inclusive way and using the most nature-friendly techniques. 
• The Wadden Sea is under pressure from, among other things, sea level rise due to climate change and increasing economic activity, such as gas extraction in and around the Wadden Sea and North Sea. Wind farms are currently the only scalable way of generating energy that can rapidly reduce CO2 emissions on a large scale. By opting for wind energy, this unique nature reserve will be protected against climate change. 
• The installation of power cables places an additional burden on the Wadden Sea region, making it important to consider the total impact of economic activities on the Wadden Sea. Salt and gas extraction place a heavy burden on the Wadden Sea, which is all the more reason to investigate the cumulative effects on the Wadden Sea. This involves exploring which existing economic activities that have an impact on the Wadden Sea can be phased out.
• To achieve the Dutch CO2 emission targets for 2030, the wind farms above the Wadden Sea are of national importance. Eemshaven is making a crucial contribution to this energy transition by connecting the wind farms and bringing them ashore in Eemshaven.  
• Groningen needs 7.1 GW of renewable energy to meet demand, as substantiated in the Cluster Energy Strategy. This means that much more ambition is needed than the 4.7 GW currently planned for the northern Netherlands. This is not only crucial for Groningen's future agenda and the economic prospects for the northern Netherlands after the end of gas extraction, but also of national importance.
• The northern authorities support the approach as currently proposed by the State Secretary in the VAWOZ letter. We call on the Minister to involve the decentralized authorities as equal administrative partners in the decision-making process to arrive at a preferred alternative. 
• The connection of wind farms now and in the future must be done correctly the first time. By working together with other parties on the connection of wind farms above the Wadden Sea, we hope to achieve sufficient wind energy at sea within the specified time frame. We believe it is important to also include wind farms 5 Middenberm and 6 in the studies. 
• It is crucial that the government develops a sound investment package for the region that has substantial resources at its disposal. This fund will create momentum to make a real difference for the Wadden Sea region: at least half of the 2 billion euros that the government is putting on the table in its letter for the region must be invested in the preservation and development of the Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site and in other relevant environmental interests. 
• The regional parties prefer to facilitate landing in Eemshaven via an eastern route through the Wadden Sea. The route via the west, including Schiermonnikoog and Ameland, is not our preferred option.
• The northern authorities believe that the national government should seek direct contact with its German neighbors to explore the possibilities for landing via Eemshaven East and, should this encounter problems, to lobby the German neighbors for landing via East.

We would like to thank you in advance for taking our input into consideration during the debate and would be happy to speak with you personally if you have any questions.
 
Kind regards,

Ineke van Gent, Mayor of Schiermonnikoog
Eltjo Dijkhuis, Alderman of Het Hogeland
Herman Beerda, Member of the Executive Committee of the Noorderzijlvest Water Authority
Sietske Poepjes, Member of the Provincial Executive of Fryslân
Fleur Gräper, Member of the Provincial Executive of Groningen.