Work programme 2024–2025

The Council draws up an annual work programme that is adopted by the Ministers Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W), Economic Affairs (EZ), Housing and Spatial Planning (VRO), Climate Policy and Green Growth (KGG), Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) and of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK). The present work programme outlines the themes for advice for 2024–2025. 

illustration of cogwheels that interlock with drawings of agriculture, infrastructure, housing, consultation, transport, energy

With the themes in the work programme, the Council aims to make a valuable contribution to the quality of the living environment and infrastructure. Because the challenges in the physical living environment are so closely intertwined, most of the Council’s advisory reports transcend the boundaries of the six ministries in the physical domain.

Themes for advice

The following three advisory processes from the 2023-2024 work programme will continue into 2024:

  • Long-term spatial consequences of climate adaptation
  • Juridification of the social debate on sustainability and the environment
  • Overall well-being in environmental policy practice

The “sustainable construction” advisory process from the 2023–2024 work programme is expected to be launched in early 2024. The Council expects to issue its unsolicited advisory report on “System failures in policy on the living environment” in mid-2024 (it published an exploratory study of this problem in December 2023).

Finally, at the request of the Ministers of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK), Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW), and Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV), the Council is currently preparing an advisory report on “the national approach to foundation problems”. This report will be delivered by no later than 1 March 2024, as per the request for advice.

The five new advisory reports that the Council will deal with in the 2024–2025 work programme are:

  1. How can we comply with the Montreal Pledge?
  2. Main Energy Structure
  3. Future-proof drinking water supply
  4. Inclusive sustainability
  5. Working for a sustainable living environment through government shareholdings

The Council also plans to organise a conference in mid-2024, on the occasion of the appointment of new Council members. The title of the conference will be:

6. The Netherlands after remodelling, conference

For several of the Council's advisory reports, the question arose of whether the Caribbean Netherlands – the BES islands – should be included in the scope of the report. In each case, the conclusion is that it is not appropriate to include these three municipalities in the regular advisory processes, due to their very specific living environment issues, which differ greatly from those of the European Netherlands. Because the issues addressed in our advisory reports are also relevant (or may be) to the Caribbean Netherlands, the Council will launch a preliminary study in early 2024 on how to include that part of the Kingdom in policy on the living environment.

In addition to the above topics, the Council will in the coming years supplement its regular work with advice based on the interim and final outcomes of evaluation of the Environment and Planning Act. For this purpose, the Council has been temporarily supplemented by two Council members who are also members of the Environment and Planning Act Evaluation Committee. Arrangements will be made with the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations on the programming of these advisory reports and the questions to be addressed.

To see the latest status of the pending advisory reports, go to the "in preparation" webpage (in Dutch).