THE HAGUE, 08/10/05 - The Christian democrats (CDA) and conservatives (VVD) oppose the cabinet plan to apply for world heritage status for the Wadden Sea region. Together with Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) they form a Lower House majority.

The island region is located in Germany, Denmark as well as the Netherlands. At the beginning of November, the three countries will announce their intention of applying to the UN organisation UNESO for world heritage status. The coalition parties CDA and VVD fear the consequences resulting from this nomination, particularly for businesses.

The cabinet supports the nomination on condition that planned gas extraction operations can continue, Housing Minister Sybilla Dekker stated in a debate. The third coalition party, centre-left D66, supports Dekker. But LPF MP Max Hermans also opposes the cabinet plans, thereby creating a Lower House majority with CDA and VVD.

Some MPs fear that the Council of State, the government's highest advisory body and highest court of administrative law, may veto the gas extraction if the region is included on the UNESCO list. But Economic Affairs Minister Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst claims that work is being done on an acceptable and legally sound phrasing "so that we will never have to back down in any court whatsoever".?