News item | 12-07-2023 | 20:16
The quality of living, working and living must be the starting point for the actions of the national government. In all regions in the Netherlands. This is what Minister Bruins Slot (Interior and Kingdom Relations) writes in the government’s response to the report ‘Every region counts!’. In recent decades, the government has invested too long in areas that are already strong, which led to undesirable differences between regions and the feeling that the government is not there for everyone. The government is now naming actions to tackle this, and wants to start working on the details this summer together with residents, local authorities, companies and civil society organisations. This includes, for example, the distribution of government employment, the feasibility of policy for regions and investments in infrastructure. Cooperation with the regions is essential in this respect. Because every region is unique, has its own identity and strength, and policy choices have different consequences for each region.
Minister Bruins Slot: ‘Things will only really go well in the Netherlands if things go well everywhere in our country. That is unfortunately not the case. It has to be different and better. We must recognize that investing only in regions where things are going well will not work for the whole of the Netherlands. That requires a different approach. Not only from the drawing board in The Hague, but also from the strength of the regions. This is a mammoth tanker that has to change course. Together with provinces, municipalities, companies and social organizations I want to start charting a different course.”
Report ‘Every region counts!’
In the report ‘Every region counts!’ the Council for the Environment and Infrastructure, the Council for Public Health and Society and the Council for Public Administration called on the cabinet to change regional policy. The current policy mainly strengthens regions that are already strong. The councils noted an increase in undesirable differences between Dutch regions, for example in the areas of care, education, infrastructure and employment. When making policy, the emphasis should not only be on efficiency, but also on the consequences for society and the living environment in all parts of the Netherlands.
Together with people from the regions
The government takes the three recommendations from the report as a starting point and will develop these together with residents, local authorities, businesses and civil society organisations. Policy and the way of investing must be determined differently. The government will work on this together with the planning offices. When making new policy, it is important to test the effect on the region. In addition, policy must be easier to implement for fellow authorities. These follow-up steps must go hand in hand with a different way of thinking and acting within the government. A way of working that does not involve talking about the regions, but with the regions. The national government must also be visible and accessible to people in the region, for example through a better distribution of government employment across the country.