# Gas extraction under the Wadden Sea could have to stop by 2029 or 2030 in the worst case

> An independent commission warns that faster sea level rise could end gas extraction under the Wadden Sea years early, putting protected bird habitats at risk.

Climate · published 2026-10-15 14:09 · https://nlnow.nl/a/wadden-sea-gas-extraction-may-have-to-stop-before-2035-advisory-body-says/

The independent Commissie voor de Milieueffectrapportage, the environmental impact assessment commission, said on Tuesday that the NAM may have to stop extracting gas under the Wadden Sea earlier than planned. The company has permission to extract until the end of 2035. In the worst case, the commission says, the room for extraction would run out in 2029 or 2030.

The commission warns that sea level rise may be faster than previously thought. If so, tidal flats and salt marsh edges that now fall dry are more likely to stay under water for longer. That is bad for the birds that feed and breed there, and the Netherlands has international obligations to protect them.

It was once agreed that the gas under the Wadden Sea is extracted "with the hand on the tap" (met de hand aan de kraan). In practice, soil subsidence from the extraction may not go so fast that nature in the Wadden Sea suffers. The commission checks this.

So far the Wadden Sea still catches enough sand and silt to keep up with both the subsidence and sea level rise.

Sjoukje van Oosterhout, an MP for PRO, is tabling parliamentary questions about the advice. She wants to know from state secretary Jo-Annes de Bat (CDA, Climate and Green Growth) whether the NAM has already objected to the use of a new sea level rise forecast.

## Background

- **Commissie voor de Milieueffectrapportage**: The Commissie voor de Milieueffectrapportage is the independent Dutch advisory body on environmental impact assessments (mer). For large projects and plans, it advises on what an environmental impact report must investigate and reviews whether the finished report is complete and reliable. Its advice informs the government decision on the project, but the commission does not grant permits itself.
- **NAM (Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij)**: The NAM is the Dutch oil and gas production company that operates most of the country's gas fields, including those under the Wadden Sea. It is a joint venture of Shell and ExxonMobil. Its extraction is subject to government permits and environmental rules, which is why its plans are reviewed by bodies such as the Commissie voor de Milieueffectrapportage.
- **PRO**: PRO is a Dutch political party with a seat in the Tweede Kamer, the House of Representatives. Its members ask parliamentary questions to government ministers and state secretaries, who must answer them in writing or in debate. The party's MPs can also table motions and proposals in parliament.

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