News item | 18-02-2025 | 16:50
The Senate today agreed to the amendment to the temporary law of Groningen. With the clarification of the law, the government solves some problems in the implementation of the reinforcement operation. Homeowners can also receive more assistance so that they have the same expertise as the implementing organizations.
Improve reinforcement
The amendment to the law dissolves a number of bottlenecks in the implementation of the reinforcement task. For example, the National Coordinator Groningen (NCG) is given more room to give priority to the strengthening of a home that may be immediately unsafe compared to a home that is not direct. The NCG also has more room to make a balance of interests in the reassessment of houses that are attached to each other. For example, the reinforcement is no longer delayed when one resident from the row wants a reassessment and the other residents want to hold on to the original reinforcement advice.
More assistance for owners
On the proposal of the House of Representatives, owners also have more opportunities to engage experts free of charge, also in civil proceedings in, for example, the case of construction errors. For example, during the process of claims settlement and reinforcement, in addition to the right to a lawyer, mediator, architectural or financial expert, will soon also be entitled to a soil expert, hydrologist or ecologist. In this way, owners can count on the same support for experts as the implementing organizations.
State Secretary Eddie van Marum (Recovery Groningen): “I want to prevent the government and owners from facing each other as much as possible. If that happens, I think it is important that owners have a fair chance. That is why I am satisfied that, on the proposal of the Chamber, we can also ensure that owners can also engage a soil expert, hydrologist or ecologist free of charge.
Base
This law also increases the possibilities for the government to charge the costs incurred as a result of gas extraction from the Groningen field, to the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM). The government charges these costs to the NAM through a levy. Such a levy requires NAM to pay the bill. With this change in the law, this can apply to more costs that the government incurs. For example, costs incurred by other governments in the damage settlement or reinforcement operation, such as costs incurred by the province of Groningen in supporting victims and farmers, can become part of the levy in the future.