News item | 13-05-2022 | 15:15
Every region in the Netherlands has its own culture, location and unique character. The proximity of neighboring countries gives the border regions extra opportunities, but also specific challenges due to, for example, differences in regulations. With the Regions on the Border programme, the cabinet wants to contribute to good housing, work and life in these regions in the coming years. This is what Minister Bruins Slot of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) writes in a letter to the House of Representatives.
Minister Bruins Slot: ‘We are committed to strong regions at the border with the central government, municipalities, provinces, entrepreneurs and neighboring countries. In addition, the cabinet is making 900 million euros available for concluding new Regional Deals that can also be concluded in the border regions. It is precisely this time that shows how important it is for neighboring countries to work together and act in the interest of our inhabitants.’
Regional customization
Collaboration can be structured in various ways and using various instruments. An example of this is the close cooperation with North Rhine-Westphalia with the help of a Grenslandagenda and close and equal cooperation is taking place between the national government and the region in Regio Deals. In the past cabinet term, for example, Region Deals were concluded with a large part of the regions on the border, for example in South-East Drenthe, East Groningen, Parkstad Limburg and Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.
Four tracks
With this Regions on the Border programme, the completed Population Decline Action Plan and the Cross-Border Cooperation program come together in a new form. Efforts are being made to strengthen the regions at the border on the basis of four tracks:
- Area-oriented deployment of border regions.
In this area-oriented track, extra attention is paid to the border regions where general prosperity and quality of life are under the greatest pressure and where the most development opportunities for cross-border cooperation lie.
- Appropriate government policy and strengthening integrated government efforts.
When preparing government policy, the government looks at how it works in practice and in specific regions. Specific attention is paid to obstacles that can arise due to different policies in the neighboring countries; the so-called border effects. - Further development and collaboration.
Agreements were made with Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Flanders and Wallonia during the past government term. Now is the time to set the course for the next phase of cooperation with both Germany and Belgium. This concerns important themes such as safety, the labor market and cross-border mobility. - Active support with knowledge and innovation
More and more knowledge and information is also becoming available on a regional scale through the regional planning offices (such as the Fries Social Planning Office) and through the regional monitor of broad prosperity of Statistics Netherlands. This helps in choosing the right approach and in monitoring results.
900 million euros for Regional Deals
A Region Deal is a collaboration between central government and the region to strengthen the strength of the region. Themes such as care, education, safety and entrepreneurship are important in order to be able to live, work and live there. During this cabinet term, the government is making 900 million euros available for new Regional Deals. Before the summer, Minister Bruins Slot will send a letter explaining how the process to arrive at Regional Deals will be set up. Completion is planned at the end of 2022 for the selection and decision-making regarding the new Region Deals from the fourth tranche, so that the central government and regions can close the first deals at the beginning of 2023.