New Green Rules Put Local Market Businesses at Risk

Before the historic Korenbeurs, Groningen’s Vismarket bustles with life every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. But the market faces an uncertain economic future as new environmental regulations, particularly the Dutch Milieu- en Omgevingswet (Environment and Planning Act), create significant challenges for local vendors.

While these policies aim to create a more sustainable future, vendors like Eddy van der Lei (54) worry that the new rules could shut down many local market businesses. “In five years, there might be no market anymore,” he predicts. “It will affect us all.”

The Environment and Planning Act is a new Dutch law that requires city vendors to comply with sustainable regulations, including switching to greener alternatives, such as transporting their products via electric vehicles.

Van der Lei and his wife Wang Ji Chiu are the owners of Coffee Bike and have been in business for over 12 years. Van der Lei is worried about the switch to electric vehicles as they are not only very expensive, but also impractical for small traders who rely on transporting heavy goods. “The cars are already heavy on their own, and once you add extra equipment, it becomes too much weight to manage,” he explains.

Other vendors share similar concerns. Erwin Wiltens (50) runs the same potato stall his parents established decades ago. He points out that the switch to electric vehicles is the most challenging aspect for vendors under the new regulations. “If it’s too expensive, then I might have to quit,” he says, acknowledging the financial burden of purchasing an electric vehicle.

Another challenge involves the planned ban on plastic and paper cups. For Van der Lei, the alternative of using reusable cups is not as simple as it sounds. “If they won’t accept the cups I am currently using anymore, I am out of business,” he says. Reusable cups come with added burdens, such as checking that each cup is clean and undamaged and ensuring employees wash their hands after handling them. While these steps are essential for food safety, they are difficult to manage in the fast-paced environment of a market.

Both Wiltens and Van der Lei feel left behind, as regulations meant to combat environmental issues are crafted without considering the financial and operational realities of small businesses. “We fear the government, the Gemeente Groningen, and the EU,” Van der Lei says. “They’re gonna kill us with their zero-emission zones, recycling laws, and new standards.”