Brussels, 06/07/2004 (Agence Europe) - The Agriculture Minister and Secretary of State for the Environment of the Netherlands, Cees Veerman and Pieter Van Geel, have concluded an agreement on manure with European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström, it was announced by the Dutch EU Presidency. The agreement puts an end to ten years of dispute between the Netherlands and the European Commission on the subject of the Dutch policy on manure. The new regime will be introduced in the Netherlands on 1 January 2006. The Court of Justice of the European Communities had ruled in October 2003 that the practices implemented by the Netherlands concerning manure did not meet the requirements of the European nitrates directive. This ruling compelled the Netherlands to develop a new policy in this field. Under the agreement that has just been concluded, the former mineral declaration system (MINAS) will be replaced by a new system relating to maximum norms for the use of nitrates and phosphates. The European Commission accepted the project submitted by the Dutch government to the Lower House of Parliament in May 2004 while calling for strengthening in some areas, including a slight reduction in the admissible volume of nitrate in pastureland. The agreement henceforth allows the Netherlands to submit an official request for derogation.