Overview

• The province’s appeal against extending gas production at Pieterzijl-Oost reached the Council of State on 29 September despite a 10 September deadline, rendering it inadmissible.
• Deputy Karin Dekker issued an apology to residents and lawmakers and will present a timeline and analysis ahead of a planned debate in the Provincial Council.
• Groningen filed as lead party for Westerkwartier, Noardeast-Fryslân, and the Noorderzijlvest and Wetterskip Fryslân water boards, leaving those entities without legal recourse in this case.
• Dekker plans a last-ditch request for the Council of State to accept the late filing, though she and officials describe the chances of success as small.
• The ministerial decision stands, allowing NAM to extract up to 98 million cubic meters of gas through 2030; separately, a Westerkwartier alderman said a provincial official believed a telephone extension had been granted, a claim met with skepticism by local councilors.