A group of local residents from farms, together with Dryade, is holding the Flemish government accountable for its failing odour policy. The reason? The residents are constantly living in the stench and are suffering serious health damage as a result. With this formal notice, the residents, along with Dryade, are sounding the alarm and are requesting an odour decree, a Flemish odour exceedance map, and action on overloaded situations by the end of November. In the absence of these, they will go to court.
The Flemish odour policy is a mess
Flanders has no legislative framework regarding odour. The assessment of odour nuisance during the permitting process is based on administrative guidelines that are not scientifically substantiated. The mechanical application of these guidelines leads to a systematic underestimation of odour nuisance. As a result, many residents are still experiencing unacceptable odour nuisance today and are suffering health damage due to, among other things, endotoxins.
The demands: an odour decree, an odour exceedance map, and action on overloaded situations
Currently, the residents and Dryade are limiting themselves to a formal notice. They demand a robust odour decree and a Flemish odour exceedance map so that every Flemish citizen can see the odour nuisance. Additionally, the agricultural businesses that have been illegally permitted and cause excessive odour nuisance must be addressed with effective odour control or livestock reduction. In the absence of action by 30 November 2023, they will go to court.
Dutch government condemned for inadequate odour policy
At the end of 2022, the court in The Hague condemned the Dutch government for its inadequate odour policy. The court found that the Dutch odour policy is in violation of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The odour nuisance experienced by residents living near intensive livestock farms constitutes an infringement of their private and family life.
The Flemish odour policy appears to be even more deficient and does not pass the test of the European Convention on Human Rights.
This initiative was made possible by the financial support of the Healthy Air Fund, funded by Greenpeace.