News item | 20-12-2024 | 2:55 PM
At the proposal of State Secretary Van Marum, the Council of Ministers has agreed to send the proposal for the Groningen Act to the Council of State for advice. With this proposal, the government is enshrining the agreements on repaying the honorary debt to Groningen and North Drenthe in law. The national government has been investing in social and economic development of the region and the sustainability of homes for 30 years and is annually accountable for this to parliament and the State of Groningen.
State Secretary Van Marum: ‘I am happy that we can send the bill to the Council of State. This bill is an important step for the cabinet to show the people of Groningen and North Drenthe that we remain committed to the recovery and prospects of the region. Even now that gas extraction from the Groningen field has stopped. I hope to be able to send the proposal to the House of Representatives in the spring.”
Social and economic development
Gas extraction from the Groningen field has stopped, but residents of Groningen and North Drenthe are still suffering from the consequences. The government wants to improve the future prospects for residents and is therefore investing in social and economic recovery and making homes more sustainable for a generation. In ‘Nij Begun’ it is indicated that the government wants to allocate a total of €7.5 billion for this from 2026 to 2055. The results of these investments are reported annually in the State of Groningen and the cabinet is accountable to parliament for this.
Generous repair of damage
The government also states that the implementing organizations have the necessary financial resources to generously compensate the damage and make homes safe for as long as necessary. Furthermore, this bill offers the new option to have damage up to €60,000 repaired without assessing the cause of the damage. Finally, the IMG will have more legal scope to actively inform residents in the earthquake area who have not yet reported damage.
Follow-up process
The bill will now be sent to the Council of State. Once the cabinet has received the advice from the Council of State, the proposal will be adjusted where necessary. The government hopes to submit the proposal to the House of Representatives for consideration in the spring.