The Mariapeel - Deurnsche Peel and the Groote Peel were designated as Natura 2000 areas in 2 sub-areas in 2009. The current final Natura 2000 management plan Peelvenen dates from October 2017, submitted for vision in January 2018. Following an objection to the plan, the decision was taken in December 2022 that groundwater abstractions in the buffer zones are not exempt from the WNB permit requirement. The addition does not change the 6-year term of the original plan. The new Natura 2000 management plan should therefore be formally re-adopted by the end of 2023. Because of this short term, the management plan can be extended (by one year) if necessary. The existing hydrological models should be updated and combined into one future-proof cross-provincial model, on the basis of which hydrological measures, policies and possible exemptions from the Wnb permit requirement can be based for the next Natura 2000 management plan period.

This call for tenders was launched as a result of the expiry of the current management plan. The Mariapeel - Deurnsche Peel and the Groote Peel were designated as Natura 2000 areas in two sub-areas in 2009. The current final Natura 2000 management plan Peelvenen dates from October 2017, submitted for vision in January 2018. Following an objection to the plan, the decision was taken in December 2022 that groundwater abstractions in the buffer zones are not exempt from the WNB permit requirement. The addition does not change the 6-year term of the original plan. The new Natura 2000 management plan should therefore be formally re-adopted by the end of 2023. Because of this short term, the management plan can be extended (by one year) if necessary.

In its appropriate assessment of the effects of irrigation, Deltares concludes that it cannot be excluded that groundwater abstractions in the buffer zones for open agricultural crops have a significant negative effect on the sustainable conservation status of the designated habitat types for the Peelvenen. On this basis, GS of both provinces have decided to no longer exempt groundwater abstractions for irrigation of open cultivation from the Wnb permit requirement.

So far, insufficient knowledge is given about the measures that can be used to achieve the hydrological conditions in order to achieve the conservation objectives. The available models were insufficient for this purpose. In order to avoid that permit granting and future decision-making on planning measures and groundwater use may have to wait years before changes are actually observed in the field, a model is needed that can predict the effects of measures in more detail than with current models. Therefore, the existing hydrological models should be updated and combined into one future-proof cross-provincial model, on the basis of which hydrological measures, policies and possible exemptions from the Wnb permit requirement can be based for the next Natura 2000 management plan period.

See also the complete procurement guidance including the associated documents such as the Schedule of Requirements.