The House of Representatives halted its consideration of the green gas blending obligation bill halfway through on Monday. Speaker Zwinkels closed the session at 6:15 p.m., even though time had been allocated until 10 p.m. The House had completed its first round and Minister Van Veldhoven-van der Meer of Climate and Green Growth had responded. It is not yet known when the second round will follow.
The law requires energy suppliers to supply an increasing proportion of their gas as green gas. This is intended to lead to 2,85 million tonnes less CO2 emissions in the chain by 2031. The cabinet aims for implementation by January 1, 2027.
The proposal to suspend the proceedings came from Ouwehand (PvdD). She wants to see the financial documents from Prinsjesdag first and know when the State Secretary for Agriculture will send his Order in Council to the House. Grinwis (ChristenUnie) had already stated earlier that morning that the proceedings were moving too fast. The Minister's answers did not arrive until September 1, followed two days later by an amendment to the bill. That amendment consisted primarily of technical corrections. In terms of content, it provided the Dutch Emissions Authority with a clearer legal basis for monitoring compliance with the new rules.
The SGP, ChristenUnie, PVV, PRO, JA21, and the Party for the Animals supported the postponement. The VVD, CDA, and D66 were against it. The BBB did not cast a vote. According to the Minister, the House must vote no later than September 29 to keep implementation by January 1, 2027, feasible. The committee could not guarantee whether the second reading could be scheduled before that date. That decision rests with the Plenary Clerk's Office.
An amendment was given the green light.
Prior to the suspension, the Minister gave her opinion on ten proposed amendments. One of these received support: the proposal by Van Oosterhout (PRO) to evaluate the law after three years instead of five. Two others can proceed if the proposers modify them, including an annual report to the House on how the obligation is working out.
The rest were advised against. Flach (SGP) wants only green gas produced in the Netherlands to count, following the example of France. The minister pointed out that the European Commission views such a restriction as an infringement of the free movement of goods and that France was subject to infringement proceedings for it. She does, however, intend to raise the issue again in Brussels. A postponement to 2028, an exception for greenhouse horticulture, and a statutory upper limit on the buyout sum also failed to pass.
Grid operators actually want speed.
The interruption is at odds with what the grid operators requested that same day. Netbeheer Nederland called on the House to provide clarity quickly regarding the implementation, as years of uncertainty are holding back investments. The umbrella organization also wants an investigation into whether the obligation can be raised after 2031 and whether it can continue until 2040. According to the grid operators, the current target is well below the amount of green gas the Netherlands can produce.
From another quarter, the opposite sentiment was heard. Sixteen nature, farmers', health, and animal welfare organizations, including Caring Farmers, Vogelbescherming Nederland, and Natuurmonumenten, warned the House that same week against large-scale manure digestion. In the plans for 2031, 36 percent of the green gas is to come from manure. According to the organizations, the House should not fix that share in advance, because it creates an economic interest in maintaining large volumes of manure.
As long as the second reading has not been held, the bill will not be put to a vote and the effective date remains open.
Sources:
- House of Representatives, legislative consultation on the Green Gas Blending Obligation Bill, 7 September 2026, with the uncorrected transcript.
- House of Representatives, legislative proposal file 36947: memorandum in response to the report (36947-8) and memorandum of amendment (36947-9), early September 2026.
- Netbeheer Nederland, Speed up green gas: three appeals to the House of Representatives, 7 September 2026.
Photo: busro / Adobe Stock (AI generated for illustration)
