Advisory report

Bridging the Implementation Gap

Rli - february 2024
Subtitel
Tackling Factors Impeding Policy for Physical Living Environment
19 December 2023
Teasertekst
The Netherlands faces major challenges in the physical living environment, such as building large numbers of homes or dealing with the consequences of a changing climate. Some of these challenges have been ongoing for decades, and they are becoming increasingly urgent.
Advies bestand
Advisory Report Bridging the Implementation Gap: Tackling Factors Impeding Policy for the Physical Living Environment2.27 MB
Adviesnummer
2023/07
Datum verschijning

Background and request for advice

The Netherlands faces major challenges in the physical living environment, such as building large numbers of homes or dealing with the consequences of a changing climate. Some of these challenges have been ongoing for decades, and they are becoming increasingly urgent, with the term “crisis” being used more and more frequently. Although policy objectives and measures have been defined in numerous areas, they are often not implemented, or not fully or on time. There are all sorts of plans, but nothing much actually comes of them. 

This failure to achieve government goals in so many important policy fields – or to do so fully or on time – calls for further analysis. Why are the matters agreed on as policy not actually being implemented, or only far too late? Why is actual implementation so problematical? If it is clear exactly where the impediments lie, then one can “twist the right control knobs” so as to bring about improvement. In the light of these considerations, we formulated the following questions for this report to answer: 

The main question addressed in this advisory report is “Just what are the impediments to implementing policy for the living environment? How can implementation be improved so as to achieve the goals of policy for the living environment?”

Two construction workers on a construction site

Explanation

For the purpose of this advisory report, we conducted ten case studies on implementation problems within the domain of the physical living environment. On that basis, we identified five impeding factors that complicate and delay implementation of policy, often simultaneously:

  1. Accumulation, and hence complexity, of policy
  2. Hesitancy about taking the necessary steps
  3. Inadequate organisation of implementation
  4. Unequal distribution of costs and benefits
  5. Structural scarcity of human resources (HR)

Our main recommendation focuses on placing policy and implementation on an equal footing. This recommendation forms a kind of overarching umbrella above our other recommendations:

Place policy and implementation on an equal footing

  • We advocate a radical reappraisal of implementation, with policy-makers and implementing parties being placed on an equal footing. 
  • When drawing up policy measures, maximum use should be made of insights derived from actual implementation. 
  • Implementing parties must be able to indicate authoritatively the conditions under which policy is actually capable of implementation.
  • Placing policy and implementation on an equal footing and actually implementing policy plans will contribute to public trust in government.

Our other recommendations for dealing with impediments when tackling challenges in the physical living are:

Give implementing parties a structural role in policy development 

  • Action is needed to involve implementers as an equal party in policy development right from the initiation phase.
  • Central government implementing organisations must be involved, as standard, in consultations between top-level civil servants.
  • The Rli also envisions an important role for the Secretary-General (SG) of each policy department, who should ensure that other parties that contribute to implementation are also involved in policy development at an early stage. 
  • Safeguards are needed to prevent local and regional authorities being assigned implementation objectives without adequate funding, for example. This requires a strong coordinating role on the part of the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (MinBZK) in allocating objectives within local and regional authorities, for example by requiring him or her to co-sign policy plans in order to prevent local and regional authorities being overburdened or under-represented during policy development.
  • Given that many challenges need to be successfully tackled in the various regions of the country, it is important for the Minister to enhance administrative cooperation at regional level. 

Work, organise, and draw up a shared agenda based on the objective concerned

  • Policy accumulation will be less of a problem if the implementing parties have a clear idea of what the shared ambitions and goals actually are. 
  • A clear statement of the objective concerned will assist in organising and prioritising accumulated policies. A shared agenda can then be drawn up on that basis. 
  • The strategies on spatial planning and the environment set out in the new Environment and Planning Act [Omgevingswet] can assist in this. They are by far the best way, after all, to articulate the narrative of the objective, area, or region concerned.

Divide up roles, tasks, and relationships based on the specific objective concerned

  • The underlying problem in many cases of implementation failure is that it is unclear to the policy-makers and implementers which of them should take action when it comes to choices about priorities and the allocation of funds. 
  • It is crucial for there to be clear arrangements regarding these points at the interface between policy and implementation, on an issue-by-issue basis.

Organise cooperation in such a way that implementers feel confident about taking decisions, even in the face of uncertainties

  • It is important to develop a setting in which parties feel confident enough – even when the situation becomes tense – to seek solutions and take difficult decisions.
  • This means that arrangements are needed regarding the culture of cooperation. 
  • Trust and transparency need to be at the heart of cooperation so that dilemmas, doubts, and uncertainties can be raised for discussion unhindered. 

Find ways to determine the costs and benefits of objectives in the living environment more accurately and to distribute them better

  • When working on objectives in the living environment, benefits often “drain away” or revenues end up with parties that do not contribute to a given development. This hampers a proactive approach. 
  • Greater attention needs to be paid to sharing knowledge when applying land policy mechanisms, such as compulsory purchase or the establishment of municipal preferential rights. 
  • More attention also needs to be paid to innovative ways of financing projects in the living environment.

Adopt a smart approach to dealing with the structural scarcity of human resources

  • The scarcity of human resources is structural and unavoidable. 
  • It is therefore necessary to adopt a smart approach to dealing with that scarcity, thus making it possible to both alleviate the scarcity itself and greatly reduce the problems that it causes. 
  • Creating a pool of experts and sharing know-how and specialists (regionally) can provide a solution. 
  • More can also be done to standardise the work involved.

Schedule

The Rli published its advisory report “Bridging the implementation gap: tackling factors impeding policy for the physical living environment” on 19 December 2023. The advisory report was submitted that same day to the Ministers of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Infrastructure and Water Management, Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate, the Minister for Climate and Energy, and the Presidents of the Senate and the House of Representatives. 

More information

For more information about the advisory report or to comment, please contact Bart Swanenvleugel, at bart.swanenvleugel@rli.nl, or on +31 (0)6 52012691.

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Phasing Out the Throw-Away Society

Rli - december 2023
24 November 2023
Teasertekst
The Dutch government must embark on policies aimed at phasing out the throw-away society, which stands in the way of the transition to a sustainable and circular economy. This requires that the government be active, coordinate matters, and set a good example.
Advies bestand
Advisory report Phasing Out the Throw-Away Society4.77 MB
Adviesnummer
2023/05
Datum verschijning

Background and request for advice

Globally – thus including in the Netherlands – more and more stuff is being thrown away. This involves mainly cheap, non-sustainable goods produced in low-wage countries, and often discarded after only short-term use. This leads to all kinds of negative effects on the living environment: environmental pollution, CO2 emissions, declining biodiversity, depletion of natural resources, and exploitation of labour.

The advisory report focuses on three commodity flows: clothing, furniture, and consumer electronics. Due to its low price and quality, clothing – especially “fast fashion” – has become a disposable product in the eyes of many consumers. The same is true for home accessories, “fast furniture”, and consumer electronics. Production of these involves all kinds of cost cutting, resulting in products that don’t last very long. Consumers are also enticed – for instance by rock-bottom offers – to purchase throw-away products. All these factors encourage throw-away behaviour.

The main question addressed in this advisory report is “How can the Netherlands, both nationally and in a European context, ensure phasing out of the throw-away society, as part of the transition to the production and use of sustainable consumer goods? What interventions are needed to make this possible?”

Many people in a store on Black Friday

Explanation

There is an increasing focus in Dutch government policy on making the economy more sustainable. There is very little focus, however, on countering the throw-away society, which constitutes a barrier to the necessary transition to a sustainable and circular economy. It is therefore important that policy should also be aimed at phasing it out. You can’t have one without the other. 

The throw-away society is an inherent component of our current economic system. Companies strive to sell as many goods as possible for the lowest possible price, a revenue model that ultimately leads to an economic ‘race to the bottom’. Fast fashion, for example, is extremely focused on low costs and therefore also on low product quality. Much of the cheaply produced clothing soon starts to wear out and is quickly discarded. The same trend is apparent with furniture and electronics. 

We identify four mechanisms that sustain the throw-away trend: 

  • The external costs of products (environmental impact, poor working conditions) are not factored into the price of the product.
  • Producers' selection as regards materials and production methods means that products have an ever-shorter lifespan.
  • Product design takes no account of what happens to the product, and the raw materials used in it, during the disposal phase. 
  • Many people find it difficult to make a responsible choice from the range of products available (including online) due to the lack of clear information about products and because they are exposed to temptation and deception. 

The Rli offers five recommendations for reversing the throw-away trend. Our focus is on policy interventions for the next five years. 

Enforce sustainable production processes, on the way to true product pricing

  • At EU level, advocate ambitious content of the Ecodesign Regulation and the resulting product requirements, as well as the European Transparency (CSDDD and CSRD) Directives.
  • Ensure ambitious content and implementation of the national legislation for International Responsible Business Conduct ('International RBC') (IMVO).

Strive for longer-lasting products by focusing on reuse and repair 

  • Promote a professional repair market by mandating that authorised repairers have access to spare parts from all electronics chains, and abolish the VAT on repairs.
  • Make second-hand shops and second-hand goods more accessible and visible.

Strive for value retention through reuse, high-grade recycling, and improved EPR schemes

  • Strive for improved, larger-scale collection, sorting, and recycling of discarded products, for example by means of an obligatory doorstep return system for large products (washing machines, mattresses) and a deposit scheme for batteries.
  • Ensure greater control of the content and creation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes. Set more stringent requirements for high-grade recycling and ensure that improved product design and reuse become worthwhile.

Assist consumers to make deliberate choices and protect them against manipulation

  • Introduce a lifespan label and a repair label with information on the expected useful life and reparability of products.
  • Combat greenwashing and ban or discourage rock-bottom pricing of products that mostly encourages impulsive purchases.

As government, take the lead, coordinate matters, and set a good example

  • Make clear how consumers can contribute to sustainability themselves, and create the necessary conditions for them to do so.
  • Support the business community in reducing harmful impacts of their products and production chains. Establish sectoral support centres.
  • Ensure more robust cross-ministry coordination and control of policy aimed at phasing out the throw-away society. Free up substantially larger funding and capacity for that purpose.

The above recommendations focus on the next five years. In the medium term, however, more will be needed. The government will need to effectuate fundamental changes in order to bring about the transition to a sustainable economy that operates within the planetary boundaries.

Schedule

On 24 November 2023, Black Friday, the Council published its advisory report Phasing Out the Throw-Away Society, which it had presented to the State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, Vivianne Heijnen, the day before. The report was also presented to the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, Micky Adriaansens, and the Presidents of the Senate and House of Representatives.

Photo of State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, Vivianne Heijnen, receiving the advisory report "Phasing Out the Throw-away Society" from Council member and committee chair André van der Zande
State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, Vivianne Heijnen, takes receipt of the advisory report Phasing Out the Throw-Away Society on 23 November 2023. Left to right: State Secretary Heijnen and André van der Zande (Rli Council Member and Chair of the committee) Photo: Fred Ernst

More information

For more information about the advisory report or to comment, please contact the project leader, Bas Waterhout, at bas.waterhout@rli.nl, or on +31 (0)6 21178802.

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Working together

Rli - october 2023
Subtitel
Opting for future-proof business parks
31 October 2023
Teasertekst
Business parks offer crucial opportunities to make businesses and society more sustainable. To capitalise on these opportunities, the government needs to set clear goals and support business owners.
Advies bestand
Advisory report Working together: Opting for future-proof business parks11.16 MB
Adviesnummer
2023/04

Background and request for advice
 

Regular business parks play a crucial role in the Dutch economy and society. The 3,400 regular business parks in the Netherlands generate about 30% of GDP and account for 28% of jobs. Overall, they cover 10% of the built-up area of the Netherlands.

Yet they are behind schedule when it comes to sustainability goals. Reducing and greening energy use are lagging behind, as are promoting circularity, climate adaptation, and restoring biodiversity. There are also questions about how efficiently space is used and about maintaining landscape quality.

For a long time, business parks received relatively little attention – unlike industrial clusters (heavy industry), for example. But recently there has been a growing focus on business parks on the part of the Dutch state, provinces, and municipalities. However, that focus is mainly on the landscape effects of large-scale distribution centres – more and more “big boxes” – and the competition for space between business parks and other functions that require space, such as housing. There is no policy aimed at making business parks themselves more sustainable, integrating the various sustainability challenges. This is a missed opportunity, since the unique character of business parks, namely the location of multiple, different types of businesses in close proximity to each other, offers major opportunities to accelerate sustainability improvements for businesses and society.

The main question addressed in this advisory report is “What policies and instruments can be used to accelerate efforts to improve the sustainability of business parks and the businesses located there? And what role should central government, other authorities, market players and society play in this?”

Business park Grote Polder Zoeterwoude

Explanation
 

Like the rest of the Netherlands, businesses need to become more sustainable. Sadly the progress being made in this area is too slow. This is understandable, as many business owners have their hands full running their business. On top of this, business owners are increasingly facing scarcity of raw materials, grid capacity, human resources and space.

Sustainability is part of the solution to many of these problems. The business park is a perfect level of scale to help business owners do this while at the same time accelerating the Netherlands' sustainability efforts. Policies that exploit these opportunities are currently lacking.

Businesses can take some measures independently, such as optimising business processes. But other measures require cooperation. Take sustainable electricity generation. The Dutch electricity grid is overcrowded, making it increasingly difficult for businesses to purchase power and supply sustainably generated power. An energy hub makes businesses less dependent on the grid. Businesses can use the hub to supply self-generated energy to each other and collectively store surpluses. Both the businesses and society profit from the energy hub: businesses by making their operations more sustainable and society by preventing grid congestion and accelerating the energy transition.

Such measures require organised cooperation between businesses. Unfortunately, only 20% of regular business parks have some form of organisation. Business owners face more obstacles, such as the need for substantial investment and in many cases a lack of clarity regarding what the government expects from them now and in the future. Support from the municipality is often limited due to lack of expertise and capacity. In short, the government needs to offer more and better support to business owners.

The Rli makes three recommendations to accelerate efforts to improve the sustainability of business parks.

Formulate a future vision

Outline a future vision of sustainable business parks, linked to measurable interim goals with a clear timeline. Develop a sustainability label for business parks. This will make life easier for business owners by clarifying complex laws and regulations.

Make forming an organisation attractive and ultimately mandatory

Encourage organised cooperation through tax advantages, subsidies for collective sustainability projects and funding for joint hiring of a park manager. Eventually make it a legal requirement for business owners at a business park to join an Owners and Users Association.

Ensure a clear division of roles

Let the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy set the national frameworks on behalf of central government. Give the provinces a central role and let them take regional control. Municipalities, as the competent authority, are the designated first point of contact for business parks. Turn Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) into centres of expertise for improving the sustainability of business parks.

Publication date

The advisory report was presented to the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, Micky Adriaansens, on 31 October 2023. The advisory report was also presented to the Minister for Climate and Energy Policy, Rob Jetten, and the Minister for Housing and Spatial Planning, Hugo de Jonge.

Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, Micky Adriaansens takes receipt of the advisory report

On October 31 2023, Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, Micky Adriaansens took receipt of the advisory report “Working together: Opting for future-proof business parks”. From left to right: Evert Nieuwenhuis (Rli project leader), Minister Micky Adriaansens (EACP), Jan Jaap de Graeff (Rli chair), Erik Verhoef (Rli Council member and committee chair) and Yourai Mol (Rli Council member). Photo: Fred Ernst.

Meeting on Thursday 7 December 2023, 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

The Rli organised a meeting on its advisory report on the afternoon of Thursday 7 December in The Hague. This meeting was in Dutch.
Further information on the programme and speakers is in Dutch on the Rli-website.

More information

For more information about the advisory report or to give your reaction to it, please contact the project leader Evert Nieuwenhuis at evert.nieuwenhuis@rli.nl, or on +31 (0)6 2192 6501

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Finance in transition

Rli - december 2022
Subtitel
Towards an active role for the financial sector in a sustainable economy
22 december 2022
Teasertekst
The financial sector will have an important role to play in the transition to a sustainable economy. This will not happen by itself, however. Government direction is needed to ensure the financial sector actually prepares for and contributes more quickly to the transition.
Advies bestand
Advisory report Finance in transition2.08 MB

Background and request for advice

The climate and biodiversity crisis is presenting the Dutch economy with a major challenge in the area of sustainability. New economic activities will have to be developed, while many existing activities will need to be phased out or converted. This will require significant investment. The challenge of becoming more sustainable will also involve risks that financial institutions and regulators must prepare for. The financial sector therefore has an active role to play in the transition to a sustainable economy.

The central question addressed in the advisory report ‘Finance in transition: Towards an active role for the financial sector in a sustainable economy’ is:

‘What options does the government have to steer financial institutions in such a way that they anticipate a sustainable economy and contribute to the transition towards it?’.

illustration of a one euro rolling through the grass

Explanation

At present, there is far too little sustainable investment in the Netherlands. Although a great deal of money was available on the financial markets over the past decade, very little of it found its way into sustainable economic activities. The supply of (high-)risk capital for innovations and the supply of long-term finance were inadequate. Given the current macroeconomic environment, this situation is at risk of deteriorating further. There is a mismatch between the supply of and demand for sustainable finance and the Rli fears this gap is widening.

Furthermore, banks, pension funds, insurers and asset managers will need to redirect their financial flows to ensure they themselves get through the transition with as little damage as possible. It is important to escape the downward spiral and phase out funding for non-sustainable activities, while increasing financial flows channelled towards sustainable activities, such as circular business, renewable energy infrastructure and sustainable agriculture.

Measures such as the pricing or banning of negative sustainability impacts are important, but are not sufficient on their own to allow the financial sector to fulfil its role in the transition to a sustainable economy. In its advisory report the Rli therefore recommends that the government take targeted measures.

Although the financial sector has undertaken some initial steps in recent years, we can still see four barriers to progress within the sector:

  • The vast majority of parties remain focused on short-term returns.
  • Rules and supervision are not sufficiently geared towards sustainability.
  • Government bonds are overrepresented in pension fund portfolios, which means opportunities to invest in the transition to a sustainable economy are being passed up.
  • Government funding and support for sustainable projects are fragmented.

The Rli considers it unlikely that the financial sector will be able to take the necessary steps independently. It believes that additional government policies will be needed to achieve these steps: not only stimulating and facilitating policies, but also policies that force the sector to act. In other words, a carrot-and-stick approach. Broadly speaking, the Council’s advice is therefore as follows:

  • Embed sustainable development in the business model of financial institutions. Make sure banks adjust their calculation models for assessing investment proposals to avoid impeding the transition to a sustainable economy and broaden the scope of reporting on sustainability policies so that this covers more than just CO2 emissions. Ensure, for example, that the impact of economic activities on biodiversity and resource consumption is also reported on.
  • Give sustainability greater prominence in financial sector rules and supervision. Ensure that De Nederlandsche Bank and the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets also monitor the sustainability impact of finance and link the amount of tax that banks pay to their sustainability performance.
  • Encourage sustainable investments within the new pension system. The overhaul of the pension system can be used as an opportunity to ensure that pension funds can invest more in the Netherlands’ sustainable economy, while maintaining the expected return on their investments.
  • Create a fully-fledged national investment institution. Combine and strengthen existing institutions and instruments. Invest-NL and parts of the National Growth Fund and Climate Fund could form the basis for a new investment institution in which the government and business community could work together to significantly increase sustainable investment.

Date of publication and public meeting

The advisory report was handed over to the Minister of Finance, Sigrid Kaag, on 22 December 2022. A public meeting to discuss the report will follow on 14 February 2023.

More information

For more information about the advisory report or the meeting, please contact the project leader, Joris Stok: joris.stok@rli.nl, tel. +31 (0)6 1324 6502.

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Towards a sustainable food system

Rli - october 2022
Subtitel
a position paper on the framework law
31 october 2022
Teasertekst
In 2022, the European Commission announced a framework law aimed at supporting the transition to a sustainable food system.
Advies bestand
Advisory report Towards a sustainable food system: a position paper on the framework law743.05 KB
Adviesnummer
Rli/EEAC

In response to the European Commission’s proposal, the Dutch Council for the Environment and Infrastructure (Rli), together with several fellow European councils, issued a position paper on 31 October 2022 on several key aspects of this forthcoming framework law.
 

Background and request for advice

In May 2020, the European Commission presented its ‘farm to fork’ strategy. In this strategy, the Commission announced special legislation: a framework law for sustainable food systems. This framework law should contribute to increased coherence in the food system, from food production to consumption, as well as the socio-economic and environmental outcomes of all these activities at both European and national levels.

The European Commission started preparing the framework law in 2022. This prompted a group of advisory councils, with Rli council member Krijn Poppe as rapporteur, to draw up a position paper addressed to the European Commission and EU member states, in the context of the European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils Network (EEAC Network), on some key aspects of the upcoming framework law.

Cover Towards a sustainable food system: a position paper on the framework law

Notes
 

European society and its food system face a triple challenge: 1) ensuring a healthy diet for all; 2) mitigating and adapting to climate change; and 3) protecting and restoring habitats for their biodiversity and ecosystem services. Effectively addressing this triple challenge in the complex context of the European food system requires a systems approach. The framework law that has been announced is necessary for this purpose. In their position paper, the councils consider five key aspects of this upcoming framework law:

1. General principles

The councils argue that the general principles of the law should help ensure that the strong innovative capacity of actors in the food chain is no longer used to achieve ever lower food prices. Instead, their innovative capacity should be harnessed to accelerate the transition to sustainable agriculture, food processing and food consumption.

In addition, the advisory councils advocate that the framework law contributes to an equitable transition to a sustainable food system. If necessary, cost increases for consumers should be offset by income tax measures, the minimum wage or social security, for example. Falling incomes on the producer side should be met, if necessary, by direct income support and payments for public services. This calls for consistency between EU policies for sustainable food systems in the single market and social and fiscal policies in the member states.

2. Certification and labelling

Certification and labelling are important tools that the framework law can use. Certification should allow classification of farms and food as more or less sustainable. This supports benchmarking and price differentiation, for example, enabling sustainable action in the chain to be rewarded through actions such as public contracts, support in the land market and/or the allocation of advisory capacity. Implementing a certification system should and can be done quickly. Further digitalisation in the food chain can boost certification while reducing administrative burdens. Labelling can then help in further developing a market for sustainable products and strengthening the information position of actors throughout the food system. 

3. Policy instruments to encourage actors in the food system

The framework law should target all actors in the food system and the position paper develops recommendations for the various actors. These recommendations assume a system of certification and labelling. For example, food processing companies and retailers could be asked to include the sustainability aspects of their procurement in their ESG reporting, and the government could use certification and labelling to implement procurement policies that encourage demand for sustainably produced food.

The councils recommend using other instruments besides certification and labelling to encourage actors in the food system to help make the system sustainable. VAT regulations could be changed, for instance, so that animal products are taxed more heavily than, say, products with a lower carbon footprint and/or health benefits, such as fruit and vegetables. Furthermore, the councils recommend not exempting the food system (including agriculture) from instruments such as an economy-wide carbon tax.

4. Monitoring food system policy

The Framework Law should ensure that monitoring is based on data describing the sustainability of the entire system, including the behaviour and sustainability performance of different categories of actors in the value chain. Proper monitoring should help underpin the food system policy debate with facts, according to the advisory councils.

It is also important to measure all sustainability indicators in an integrated way, and to collect them using a methodologically sound approach that can be audited. Such an approach should provide insights that can be used to see the effects of policy measures on farms, including unforeseen trade-offs. 

5. Governance

To effectively manage the European food system, and properly coordinate current policy, the councils recommend setting up a coordination group that includes European Commissioners whose DGs are involved in food systems in a broad sense. In addition, a coordination mechanism should be established between the European Commission and national ministries to coordinate actions and measures. This mechanism should work across all policy areas (such as agriculture, fisheries, environment, competition, and health and social policy). Member states should also develop comprehensive national strategic plans for sustainable food systems, including social measures for an equitable transition.

Publication date and online public meeting

The position paper was issued on 31 October 2022 and presented and explained to European Commission Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans in December 2022 by a number of EEAC network delegates, including Rli Council member Krijn Poppe. In addition, the EEAC Network, in cooperation with the Permanent Representation of the Netherlands to the EU, organised a meeting in Brussels on 2 February 2023. The position paper’s findings were discussed with national and international invitees.

Various councils also brought the paper to the attention at national level. In the Netherlands, Rli Chair Jan Jaap de Graeff and Council member Krijn Poppe presented the position paper in the executive committee of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. 

Presentment to Timmermans

Pictured from left to right are Krijn Poppe (Rli Council member and author of the position paper), Frans Timmermans (Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for the Green Deal), Arnau Queralt Bassa (Chair of the EEAC Network), Jan Verheeke (Chair of the Working Group on Ecosystem Services, EEAC Network). 

Information or response

If you wish to respond or would like more information, please contact Folmer de Haan, project manager,f.w.dehaan@rli.nl, +31 (0)6 4615 2496

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Nature-Inclusive Netherlands

Rli - march 2022
23 March 2022
Nature-Inclusive Netherlands
Teasertekst
Nature in the Netherlands is declining at an alarming rate, even though robust nature is crucial for the quality of life here. What does this mean for our current nature policy? The Council for the Environment and Infrastructure issued an advisory report on this subject on 23 March 2022.
Advies bestand
Advisory report 'Nature-Inclusive Netherlands2.93 MB
Adviesnummer
Rli 2022/01

Background and request for advice

Nature is declining at an alarming rate worldwide and the Netherlands is no exception in that regard. From agricultural areas to nature reserves and from inland waters to urban areas, the quality of nature and biodiversity is declining everywhere. This is a troublesome development, because robust nature is crucial to combating climate change and ensuring a sustainable food supply. It is, moreover, essential to people’s health and wellbeing to have nature in their immediate surroundings. Nature also plays a vital role in securing drinking water, healthy food and clean air. Nature is therefore essential for human existence.

In response to this biodiversity crisis, the Council for the Environment and Infrastructure (Rli) has examined whether the Dutch government’s current nature policy is adequate and, if not, what changes are needed.

Nature in the city

Explanation

The Council concludes that Dutch nature policy is falling short. There are a number of reasons for this:

  • The focus of nature policy is too narrow. It concentrates mainly on protected areas, but these areas are part of much larger ecosystems that extend beyond the protection boundaries. The current policy fails to ensure proper conditions for groundwater and surface water, the soil and the ecosystem. The narrow scope of the Netherlands’ nature policy also means that nature in rural and urban areas is often neglected.
  • Dutch nature policy is not sufficiently linked to other societal challenges. The government has stalled in its efforts to interweave the challenges related to nature with other activities and to move towards a nature-inclusive society. Well-intentioned parties in society in fact face all kinds of obstacles in that regard.
  • Nature is not given enough weight as a factor in economic and political decision-making. It is mainly perceived as an expense and as a fringe interest that hampers economic growth. Policymakers appear to have a blind spot when it comes to the importance of nature for human existence.
  • The various authorities do not cooperate enough. They lack a coherent approach to governance and fail to cooperate with other parties. They also fail to systematically monitor the results of policy and to put independent oversight in place.

It is crucial for the Netherlands to reverse the decline of its natural assets and to restore nature. To do this, the government will have to work much harder towards shaping a nature-inclusive Netherlands. The Council has four recommendations in this regard:

1. Ensure that the quality of nature is adequate everywhere

The Netherland’s current nature policy is ineffective. The narrow focus on protected nature areas will not reverse biodiversity loss. The authorities must also work to restore nature and biodiversity outside these areas. More green spaces are needed in and around towns and cities that everyone can easily walk or cycle to. Nature must also be restored in rural areas, where it has suffered serious deterioration in recent decades. The Council advocates establishing a minimum quality standard for nature on a region-by-region basis.

2. Integrate the approach to nature into the transformation of the Netherlands

The Netherlands will be undergoing a major transformation in the years ahead in response to the many challenges it faces, for example in housing construction, the energy transition, climate change adaptation, the nitrogen crisis and the transition to more sustainable agriculture. This transformation will create excellent opportunities for nature restoration outside the protected areas. Many public and private organisations and municipal authorities are also willing to adopt more nature-inclusive practices, but they will only succeed if the authorities support their efforts and fully commit to nature-inclusive policy objectives themselves (e.g. by setting a good example when managing or leasing government-owned land). The Council recommends a regional approach that integrates nature restoration and the other challenges society faces, along with relevant sector-specific agreements. The necessary funds can be provided through the Climate and Transition Fund and Nitrogen Fund, among others.

3. Take nature fully into account in economic and political decision-making

Nature is still mainly regarded as an expense in economic and political decision-making and is therefore not accorded its full due. There are still too many financial and other incentives that promote nature loss; damage to nature goes unpunished and nature restoration unrewarded. The Council therefore recommends gearing subsidies and tax measures in agriculture, industry and nature management towards building a nature-inclusive society and giving the value of nature more weight in economic and political decision-making.

4. Cooperate on a regional basis

Integrating spatial planning challenges requires a region-by-region approach that can be implemented jointly by all parties involved, each one assuming its own role and carrying out its own tasks. The Council therefore supports the Government’s intention of adopting an integrated, region-by-region approach to challenges. Nature-related challenges must be linked to other challenges at regional level. That should apply across all regions, whether rural or urban. Systematic monitoring and independent oversight of progress and performance are necessary.

Date of publication and public meeting

The advisory report was presented to the Minister for Nature and Nitrogen Policy on 23 March 2022. It was also presented to the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, the Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning and the Presidents of the Senate and House of Representatives.

From left: The Minister for Nature and Nitrogen Policy, Christianne van der Wal, receiving the advisory report from Jan Jaap de Graeff (Rli Chair), André van der Zande (Rli Member) and Yvette Oostendorp (Rli Project Leader). Photograph: Marco de Swart

Online public meeting – 19 May 2022

The Rli organised an online public meeting on 19 May about its advisory report Nature-Inclusive Netherlands.

More information

For more information about the advisory report, please contact project leader Yvette Oostendorp at yvette.oostendorp@rli.nl or +31 (0)062702 0642.

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Give direction, make space!

Rli - november 2021
23 November 2021
Give direction, make space!
Teasertekst
The Netherlands is facing major spatial challenges as regards climate, energy, nature, housing, and agriculture. Is the way spatial planning is currently managed adequate for tackling these challenges in good time and with favourable results?
Advies bestand
Advisory report Give direction, make space!4.62 MB
Adviesnummer
Rli 2021/05

Background and request for advice

The Netherlands is facing major societal challenges as regards climate, energy, nature, housing, and agriculture, all of which will have a spatial impact. This means that the country and its landscape are on the eve of a drastic transformation. Is the way developments are currently managed from a spatial planning perspective adequate for tackling that transformation in good time and with favourable results?

The request for advice was:

  • Do the frameworks for national spatial planning policy, with the National Strategy on Spatial Planning and the Environment and the Environment and Planning Act, provide a sufficient basis for action on the part of national government, the decentralised authorities, and other parties involved in spatial planning?
  • What improvements are needed in the areas of governance, administrative organisation, implementation capability, civic engagement, and cooperation so as to ensure that the various tiers of government make the spatial choices necessary to create a high-quality, future-proof physical environment?
pasture with cows and housing in the background

Explanation

The Council argues that current spatial management is deficient, as regards both substance and process, and it offers recommendations for remedying the deficiencies. These deficiencies do not call for amending legislation, for rebuilding the entire administrative structure of the country, or for ‘going back to old times’. But what they do call for are new forms of management and effective collaboration between public authorities, the market, corporations, and implementing organisations, with parties daring to make use of the existing spatial instruments and to call one another to account when targets are not met. Design capability is also needed so as to outline an optimistic and attractive vision for the future. The urgent major spatial challenges of our time in fact offer an opportunity to make the Netherlands not only more functional, sustainable and thus future-proof, but also more beautiful and attractive.

The main recommendations are as follows:

1. Reinforce substantive management of national physical environment policy

In its current form, the government’s National Strategy on Spatial Planning and the Environment (NOVI) does not provide enough support for regional authorities to be able to tackle the many challenges in the physical environment. We therefore advise drawing up a ‘NOVI-plus’, comprising clear national goals and choices that are viewed in conjunction with one another, with room for regional elaboration and a reduction in the number of national programmes. The diversity of areas in the Netherlands also requires appropriate spatial management. The concept of ‘broad prosperity’ will be helpful in this regard.

2. Strengthen national government’s role in directing spatial management

In view of the major spatial challenges (and the way they are interconnected), this requires – from the political perspective – direct responsibility on the part of a minister for the spatial planning portfolio. Control with a view to the goals to be achieved is an important means of reinforcing management by national government. This will involve closely monitoring whether the goals are being met. The Minister of Spatial Planning will need to have a dedicated budget for facilitating spatial choices. Furthermore, State-owned land must be utilised more effectively for societal ends. The Council advocates establishing a sub-council of the Council of Ministers with the task of ensuring that there is sufficient (spatial) cohesion in decisions regarding the physical environment.

3. Strengthen the middle tier of administration: provinces and regions

Provinces must have greater control within the spatial domain, in terms of both substance (the sum total of all regional plans and their spatial consequences) and process (coordination between regions and guaranteeing integrality within the regions). Provinces must also become the commissioning party for a new round of land redevelopment for rural areas. We also recommend the establishment of integrated regional consultation bodies, which would consider the various spatial challenges in combination. Among other things, these should draw up an integrated area plan and consult on what tasks they can take over from sectoral consultation bodies.

4. Increase decentralised implementation capability

Provinces, regions, and municipalities are struggling with insufficient implementation capability due to a lack of capacity and knowledge and inadequate budgets. To address this problem, national government should make additional funds available to decentralised authorities for tackling new spatial challenges, such as the transition to a climate-resilient physical environment. The Council also recommends that government budgets for the regions should be decompartmentalised, so that they become available to each region as a single budget. It is also important to invest in knowledge development at regional level.

5. Take civic engagement seriously

The major (transition) challenges cannot be tackled without the support and engagement of the public. The Council therefore recommends organising new forms of such engagement. First and foremost, this means dialogue with the public at national level about the urgency and goals of the major transition challenges. Secondly, it involves civic engagement on a regional scale, with public authorities, the public, businesses, and other parties together drawing up possible and desirable spatial visions of the future. Such engagement does not of course prevent normal democratic decision-making always needing to follow at national, provincial, and municipal level.

6. Utilise one another’s qualities in cooperation with the market, corporations, and implementing organisations

Spatial developments are more complex than before. Various claims must be accommodated within increasingly limited space, where the sustainability transitions must also be given shape. Given these circumstances, it will be necessary to discover (once more) an effective means of ensuring optimal cooperation between the authorities, the market, housing corporations, and implementing organisations. Among other things, this requires making greater use of one another’s knowledge, capital and capacity, an open attitude on the part of the parties involved, and reliable commissioning. National government must become more aware that significant implementation capability lies with organisations such as nature and landscape managers, and must enable these parties to fulfil their implementation role in the best possible manner.

Publication date

The advisory report was received on 23 November 2021 by Erik Jan van Kempen, programme director-general for the Environment and Planning Act, on behalf of the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK). It was also presented to the State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations and the Ministers and State Secretaries of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK), Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW), and Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV).

More information

For more information about the advisory report, please contact project leader Lianne van Duinen at Lianne.vanduinen@rli.nl.

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Hydrogen: the missing link

Rli - february 2021
January 2021
Hydrogen: the missing link
Teasertekst
What is the significance and strategic importance of climate-neutral hydrogen as a feedstock, fuel and energy carrier as part of a sustainable Dutch economy?
Advies bestand
advisory report 'Hydrogen, the missing link' (Rli 2021/01)2.19 MB
Adviesnummer
Rli 2021/01

Background and request for advice

Interest in hydrogen is increasing, both in the Netherlands and internationally. The Council for the Environment and Infrastructure (Rli) therefore addresses the following questions in this advisory report:

  • What is the significance of climate-neutral hydrogen as a feedstock, fuel and/or energy carrier in a sustainable Dutch economy?
  • How realistic are the forecasts with regard to hydrogen and are the blueprints for the future consistent with them?
  • What is the strategic importance of hydrogen for the Netherlands?
  • What does the strategic importance of hydrogen mean for the efforts of the Dutch government and others?

Explanation

Hydrogen is becoming essential to ensure the supply of energy and feedstocks

The Council's conclusion in this advisory report is that hydrogen is a vital link in the future climate-neutral supply of energy and feedstocks. The contribution of oil, natural gas and coal will be greatly reduced over the long term. Many more processes will be electrically powered. Wind and solar power in particular will be used as sustainable energy sources. But electricity cannot meet all energy needs. The cost of transporting electricity are higher while its transport capacities are lower. Moreover, there are periods when the wind and the sun simply do not deliver enough energy in Northwest Europe. Clean climate-neutral hydrogen offers a solution to these problems.

The hydrogen market will not materialise automatically

However, the hydrogen market that is needed for this purpose will not materialise automatically; it will require the active commitment of government to creating demand for hydrogen. The government's role is to invest in the infrastructure, but also, for example, to garner public support. Its active commitment is needed not only to make the Dutch economy more sustainable, but also because it contributes to the Netherlands' earning potential. In this advisory report, the main message is further elaborated on the basis of the questions posed in the report. The Council's ambition in this advisory report is to adopt a holistic approach to the subject, to provide an overview and to sketch out a realistic picture.

Recommendations to government

1. Invest in the establishment of a mains transport network for hydrogen with import and export facilities in the short term

An essential precondition for the creation of a hydrogen market is the presence of storage facilities, import and export facilities and a transport network linking these facilities to the industrial clusters.

2. Emphasise safety and public support more explicitly in policy

The safety of new hydrogen technologies must be carefully and comprehensively investigated in advance. The government must make a budget available for this. In addition, the government should actively focus on garnering public support for hydrogen.

3. Stimulate demand for climate-neutral hydrogen

The government must ensure that climate-neutral hydrogen can compete with non-renewable alternatives. Only then will there be a demand for hydrogen that is consistent with the blueprint for the future of various sectors of the Dutch economy.

The best way to create this demand is by pricing carbon emissions. The consequence is that the price level of fossil fuels will rise, making climate-neutral alternatives more competitive. In the case of climate-neutral hydrogen, a carbon price of well over a hundred euros per tonne would currently be needed for it to be able to compete. It is important that carbon emissions pricing is done at EU level. The Netherlands should push for a further tightening of the European carbon emissions trading system, so that the price industry has to pay for its carbon emissions will rise further. The Netherlands should also make a case in Brussels for an import tax on products from outside the EU based on their carbon footprint.

At national level, government can make hydrogen competitive through specific measures in each sector. In aviation, shipping and the built environment, a physical or administrative blending obligation for suppliers of fossil fuels will be the most effective way of achieving this. Tax incentives or a requirement to use climate-neutral hydrogen will work better in other sectors. In the longer term, it is expected that the rising ETS price combined with the falling cost of climate-neutral hydrogen will provide sufficient momentum to make climate-neutral hydrogen competitive.

4. Do not exclude any forms of hydrogen production when developing a hydrogen market

The production of "blue" hydrogen, made from natural gas and industrial waste gases with carbon capture and storage, will be an important transition technology for the next fifteen to twenty years and could contribute to security of supply after that time. Imports of hydrogen will also play a role, but complete dependence on hydrogen produced outside the EU is undesirable because of the importance of maintaining security of supply.

5. Provide financial support for production and other technologies that promote the creation of a Dutch market for climate-neutral hydrogen technology

Various hydrogen technologies could contribute to the creation of a Dutch climate-neutral hydrogen market: combined carbon capture and storage, combined power generation and hydrogen production from wind at sea, hydrogen storage in salt caverns and the production of hydrogen-based fuels. The government should provide financial support to ensure the ongoing development of these types of technology. This could be done by, for example, drawing up "contracts for difference", under which manufacturers of products made using these relatively expensive technologies are refunded the price difference by the government.

6. Actively pursue cooperation in the EU and with neighbouring countries and develop a stronger international orientation

When it comes to securing a meaningful position in the hydrogen market, the Netherlands has the advantage over other countries that it is already an international energy hub. To capitalise on this advantage and help make Europe more sustainable, active efforts must be made to promote European cooperation. In particular, cooperation with Germany and Belgium, North Sea countries and Northwest Europe should be further intensified to ensure a coordinated roll-out of the hydrogen market and a high degree of security of supply.

Publication

On 25 January 2021, the Council presented its advisory report to the Dutch government's Director-General of Climate and Energy, Sandor Gaastra, at a public online presentation.

More information

To give your response or obtain further information, please contact Folmer de Haan, project leader, f.w.dehaan@rli.nl.

Photo: iron chain links - ogonekipit / Dispositphoto’s
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Digitally Sustainable

Rli - february 2021
February 2021
Digitally Sustainable
Teasertekst
Digital technology and data use are changing our society in fundamental ways. These changes are having a major impact on the sustainability of our living environment. How can we create a society that is both digital and sustainable?
Advies bestand
Digitally Sustainable14.06 MB
Adviesnummer
Rli2021/02

Background and request for advice

Behind the living environment that we see and experience lies a digital world of data, platforms and online services. Increasingly, the digital world is defining the ways we live, travel, spend our leisure time, consume, and so many other aspects of our daily lives. The digital transformation of our society has brought a great deal of convenience and prosperity to our lives. Digital technology and data can have positive effects for sustainability, for example by making production processes more efficient and by enabling us to integrate solar and wind power into our existing energy system. But digitalisation does not automatically make our society more sustainable. It is also a driver of increasing consumption, creates growth in resource-intensive industries and increases greenhouse gas emissions.

The question behind this advisory report is: how are digitalisation and sustainability transitions related, and what possible, necessary and effective role can government play to ensure that digitalisation contributes to the necessary transition to a sustainable society?

Explanation

The government is actively pursuing policy to make the living environment more sustainable, and is taking a number of steps in the physical living environment to achieve targets relating to greenhouse gases, the climate and resource consumption. However, the digital side of the living environment has yet to be given sufficient attention. The focus in the government’s digitalisation policy on the economic opportunities digitalisation presents, fair competition and the protection of civil rights is clear; yet the sustainability effects of digitalisation are conspicuously underemphasised. Likewise, in sustainability policy insufficient attention is being given to the indispensable role of digital technology and data in the achievement of the sustainability goals. Focused interventions by the Netherlands and the European Union in the digital world are clearly necessary and justified. The government is responsible for a sustainable living environment, and digitalisation is changing the starting points for achieving it. Digitalisation is creating new opportunities for government intervention.

Digital platforms are a vital element of the digitalisation of society, and this makes them the best point of reference for the measures intended to further the green transformation of the living environment. In the living environment, digital platforms connect supply and demand for a huge variety of goods and services. In the process, they generate, analyse and process large amounts of data on that environment, from the supply and consumption of energy to travel patterns to consumer goods. This puts digital platforms in the position to increasingly dictate the rules in the market for things like mobility, leisure time, energy and raw materials, with all the impact on the living environment that this implies. Accordingly, the Council considers it of essential importance for the public sector to understand this, and set requirements on digital platforms in the interests of sustainability. This is why the Rli also believes that there is a need for a European regulation that will make it possible to set sustainability requirements on these platforms. In addition the Dutch government must investigate the options to, through the platforms, factor the negative environmental impact of products and services into prices.

The Rli makes three primary recommendations for active government intervention:

  1. The government has to more consistently apply digital technology and data towards its sustainability policy
  2. In its digitalisation policy, the government must ensure that the digitalisation of society is sustainable.
  3. Governmental agencies must be better prepared for developments in the digital realm.

Essays

It is clear that the process of digitalisation is proceeding at varying speeds, intensities and phases in different domains within the living environment. Because the green transformation is not a single, unified and coherent process, in preparing for this advice the Rli asked a number of experts in different areas to reflect on the relationship between the digital and green transformations in three separate domains: energy, mobility, and the circular construction economy. What changes is that relationship giving rise to? What does this mean for the achievement of the sustainability goals? Is the government’s current toolkit going to be sufficient to achieve these goals or protect and promote other public interests?

The authors all address current developments in the digital domain and their impact on the living environment and what this means for the green transformation. The essays address topics such as the development of digital platforms, the changing impact and role of the government, and the protection of the public good. Each author bears the responsibility for the content of his or her submission, and the essays do not necessarily reflect the position of the Council.

Read the essay ‘High-value digitalisation for the energy transition’ - Eef Masson, Romy Dekker & Rinie van Est - Rathenau Institute

Read the essay 'Digitalisation and the transition to a sustainable society - Perspective from the mobility domain' - Carlo van de Weijer Eindhoven - AI Systems Institute

Read the essay 'The digital potential in creating a circular construction economy' - Paul W Chan, Catherine De Wolf and Alexander Koutamanis -TU Delft

Publication

This advisory report was presented to the State Secretary for Infrastructure & Public Works, the State Secretary for Internal Affairs & Kingdom Relations and the cabinet members for Economic Affairs and Climate on 9 February 2021.

More information

For more information about the advice, please contact Bart Swanenvleugel, project manager, bart.swanenvleugel@rli.nl, +31 6 5201 2691.

 

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Towards an integrated accessibility policy

Rli - february 2021
February 2021
Towards an integrated accessibility policy
Teasertekst
More and more solutions for accessibility issues are being advanced. Policy choices regarding accessibility are increasingly linked to other challenges in the living environment. How do we arrive at an integrated accessibility policy?
Advies bestand
Advisory report 'Towards an integrated accessibility policy' (Rli 2021/03)531.39 KB
Adviesnummer
Rli 2021/03

Background and question to be addressed

The Dutch House of Representatives asked the Council to advise on how to achieve a more integrated approach to the accessibility issue in practice. The questions that the House has put to the Council are: What institutional obstacles exist within government organisations and how can these be removed? Are there different obstacles in relation to national, regional and cross-border mobility challenges? How can a comprehensive assessment be guaranteed in the various assessment instruments? How can the House of Representatives influence this process?

This is the Council's response to the request made by the House, with the following key question:

How can a more comprehensive assessment of accessibility challenges and solutions be achieved in policymaking? What are the main obstacles that stand in the way of such a comprehensive assessment for institutions in general and the House of Representatives in particular and how can these obstacles be overcome?

Explanation

There is a growing realisation that an "integrated" approach to accessibility policy is desirable. An integrated approach goes beyond enabling efficient travel by car, bicycle or public transport. This approach is alive to new possibilities and innovations in the field of mobility. Consideration is given to spatial planning solutions and the idea of spreading mobility throughout the day. The policy involves keeping an eye out for digital alternatives to physical travel. An integrated approach also takes account of other challenges in the living environment, such as urbanisation, safety and climate. In our advisory report to the House, the Council makes a number of recommendations to government and parliament on how to achieve an integrated, balanced accessibility policy.

The three main recommendations are:

  • Aim for broad welfare: as a benchmark throughout the entire accessibility policy cycle, including visions and assessment instruments. The Council recommends that facilitating mobility should no longer be regarded as the dominant principle of accessibility policy. A well-considered vision, backed up by political decision-making, is needed to set the goals of accessibility policy and determine how they can best be achieved. As far as the Council is concerned, the impact on broad welfare should be the benchmark throughout the entire policy cycle, from vision development to implementation. This means updating the assessment instruments and the way they are used. The conceptual framework and system of social cost-benefit analyses should be used at an earlier stage and more consistently in decision-making processes. The new national market and capacity analysis, to be published in the summer of 2021, must take account of all aspects relevant to broad welfare. It is important to prevent this analysis from acquiring the status of a priority list for infrastructural solutions, as has been the case in the past.
     
  • Take a broad view: on all available solutions for accessibility issues. The Council calls on government and parliament to include all available solutions for improving accessibility when considering policy. Changing social preferences and technological developments make this necessary. Besides "classic" infrastructural measures aimed at tackling traffic capacity problems, other promising solutions, such as influencing behaviour, spreading mobility over time, finding digital accessibility alternatives and encouraging smart spatial design, should be considered as equivalents when making policy choices. The rapid development of digital alternatives to physical travel, such as online working from home or education, must be taken into account in policy without delay, in cooperation with private partners. In addition, national spatial policy can be used to focus more strongly on the impact of urbanisation on accessibility.
     
  • Adopt a common view: nationwide and with the regions, based on a multi-year programmatic approach and the funding of accessibility policy. In order to make choices based on a comprehensive assessment, the three ministries involved must view accessibility policy as a joint, coherent challenge at national level: Infrastructure and Water Management (for the mobility theme), Interior and Kingdom Relations (for the urbanisation and spatial design theme) and Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (for the digital accessibility theme). A shared strategy and policy agenda is needed to form a basis from which to allocate responsibilities and financial resources for the accessibility policy. The implementation of carefully coordinated urbanisation and accessibility strategies must not be hampered by a sectoral project approach or by the interests of individual organisations. The Council believes that area-specific programme management linked to joint programme funding will form the basis for improving ways of embedding the integrated approach in the collaboration, both nationally and between the national government and the regions. This will also require a broadening of the financial basis for the integrated accessibility policy over the coming period.

The House of Representatives has an important part to play throughout the policy cycle in achieving a more integrated accessibility policy. The Council has two specific recommendations:

  • Make more use of the available parliamentary options for influencing policy.

The House can make better use of its options for influencing policy by closely questioning the government and focusing its debate on the comprehensive nature of the principles and proposals for accessibility policy. If required, the House can also play an initiating role, for example by issuing an initiative memorandum. The effective use of these scrutiny options requires the House to form an opinion about the role that accessibility policy can play in promoting broad welfare. It also requires the House to ensure that the assessment frameworks and decision-making instruments used are properly geared towards making comprehensive assessments.

  • Parliamentary attention should be more focused on the relationship between the impact, possible solutions and the administrative organisation of accessibility policy.

When exercising its scrutinising role, the House should focus less on the results of individual projects and measures and concentrate more on the impact and achievement of the goals of accessibility policy as a whole.

This also means: assessing government policy more explicitly in terms of the connections it makes with other relevant substantive policy areas, such as spatial policy, urbanisation and digitalisation, and in terms of cooperation between ministries and tiers of government. The Council believes that a more integrated accessibility policy would also benefit from the regular organisation of joint meetings of the standing committees for the Infrastructure and Water Management and Interior and Kingdom Relations ministries.

Publication date

On 10 February, the Council presented its advisory report, "Towards an integrated accessibility policy", to the Dutch House of Representatives . Member of Parliament Rutger Schonis (D66) accepted the advisory report on behalf of the House of Representatives online.

Further information

If you would like to comment on this topic or require more information, please contact Luc Boot, project leader, at luc.boot@rli.nl or on +31 (0) 6 1057 7495.

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