News item | 18-06-2025 | 14:07
There will be rules for follow -up positions from ministers and state secretaries. After a debate with Minister Uitermark, the House of Representatives approved a bill in which this is recorded. For example, ministers must ask for advice on their new job at a special lecture for 2 years after their term of office. There will also be a revolving door ban and the existing lobby ban is given a place in the law. The intention is that the Follow -up Functions Regulation Rules will start ministers next year.
Minister Judith Uitermark of the Interior and Kingdom Relations: “People must be able to assume that our public administration is expert and reliable. Integrity is a condition, even if ministers start after departure to a new position. After all, they take food, information and contacts, which can lead to a conflict of conflicts with this law, for example.”
Advice about new job
The new law states, among other things, that every minister for up to 2 years after the office must request advice on a follow -up function at the Advisory Course Legal position of political office holders. This college tests the risk of a conflict of interest, looks at confidentiality obligations and then issues advice. There are 3 options: ‘No objection’, ‘acceptable under further conditions’ or ‘unacceptable due to (too high a risk of) conflict of interest’. That advice is also made public on the website of the college if the (former) minister accepts the track.
No job or contact at Ministry
Furthermore, the so -called ‘revolving door ban’ is regulated in the law. This means that ministers are not allowed to work at their former ministry for up to 2 years after their office. They are also not allowed to accept paid assignments at this ministry or on adjacent policy areas at other ministries. The existing lobby prohibition is also laid down by law. This prohibition means that a minister who started working in the private or semi-public sector may not have any business contacts with officials from the former ministry for up to 2 years after departure.
Attention to sanctions
The House of Representatives has agreed to the bill, which means that now the Senate will bend over it. If the Senate also agrees, the law starts. Even before the Cabinet’s fall, the ministers and state secretaries have already agreed to adhere to the rules of the bill. The law will be evaluated after 3 years. In the meantime, as a result of two motions, the possibilities for sanctions such as (former) ministers are breaking the law. The results of this study are involved in the law evaluation.