Dutch identify obstacle to Nato's defiance of Putin: geese

Times

10 hours ago

The rearmament of Nato is being undermined by European Union rules on emissions and the welfare of seals and geese, according to a leaked Dutch report.
European members of the alliance are under pressure from President Trump to increase military spending and are seeking to bolster defences against the threat from Russia. A conference in the Hague next week will set higher spending targets.
However, EU red tape is seen as strangling operational plans to expand barracks and hold exercises, a report by the TNO, a Dutch government scientific advisory body, has said.
Many Cold War-era military bases in the Netherlands and beyond are close to nature reserves, putting their expansion in breach of emissions and environment certificates and in some cases preventing fighter jet pilots from training there.
The report, which was leaked to De Telegraaf, noted that plans to station F35s at Lelystad airport faced environmental protests and legal challenges because of noise and disruption to nearby breeding grounds for geese. North Sea naval exercises, meanwhile, have been constrained because of concerns about the impact on marine wildlife, especially seals, of underwater explosions.
The report said finding ways to bypass the rules was 'an operational necessity and a strategic and political priority', adding that they limited 'national and allied defence capacity and thus affect the collective defence of Dutch and Nato territory.
'If there is less space to train and house people, if equipment maintenance can no longer be carried out, or if new equipment cannot be deployed sufficiently, this has a direct impact on the personnel and equipment readiness of the armed forces.'
Recent judicial rulings on emissions in the Netherlands are seen by the TNO as limiting new permits for extra equipment, such as tanks or jets, that runs on fossil fuels. EU climate change legislation may also affect future fighting ability by restricting the mining of metals critical to military hardware.
Jakub Jaworowski, the Polish minister responsible for defence procurement, said Europe's adversaries, such as Russia, or rivals like China, were not constrained in this way.
'It is a real dilemma. You have the defence of Europe on one side, and on the other side, legitimate environmental objectives,' he said. 'We need to defend Europe. Our adversaries do not care much for the environment.'
Nato military planners have previously complained that EU red tape, particularly customs forms, have stood in the way of military manoeuvres, cross-border convoys and vital ammunition shipments to Ukraine. Each item of equipment requires sheaves of paperwork and authorisation can take months.
Earlier this month 11 countries, including Germany, signed a letter demanding that the European Commission 'address the legal obstacles for operational readiness of our armed forces and defence organisations, in addition to addressing legal obstacles to the defence industry … Some EU legislation forms a direct obstacle to the armed forces for fulfilling their tasks.'
Highlighting clauses in the EU treaty to stop European legislation from preventing 'armed forces from carrying out necessary activities to become operationally ready', the letter concluded: 'Right now, it does.'
Ruben Brekelmans, the Dutch defence minister, said in a Paris speech two months ago: 'The EU should cut the red tape preventing us from going faster and being better than any adversary. Certain EU environmental legislation prevents the military from conducting exercises and from expanding our bases. Of course the environment is important and should be protected, but Putin won't be deterred by a sign warning him that he's about to enter a nature reserve.'