News item | 27-05-2026 | 11:30
The Netherlands is rich in heritage. From the Rotterdam summer carnival to Loevestein Castle, from the scenic landscape in the Achterhoek to the shipwrecks in the Wadden Sea. Municipalities, provinces and the government have made new administrative agreements to improve cooperation in the field of heritage. With these agreements, the authorities want to strengthen the basis of heritage policy in order to respond effectively to new spatial and social challenges.
Heritage gives meaning to our living environment, strengthens communities and contributes to the quality of the city and countryside. It therefore deserves careful protection and that is only possible if governments jointly support it.
Strengthening heritage policy
The administrative agreements on cultural heritage, signed by the Minister of Education, Culture and Science, the Interprovincial Consultation (IPO) and the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG), ensure a good connection between national regulations and programs and the work of municipalities and provinces. The new cooperation agreements build on previous policy and tighten it where necessary.
Minister Rianne Letschert (OCW): “Heritage connects people and reminds us of who we are and where we come from. That is precisely why it is very important that municipalities, provinces and the government work together in this regard. Only through this shared responsibility can we keep our heritage alive and pass it on to future generations.”
Deputy Meindert Stolk, portfolio holder Heritage IPO: “Only by working together can we protect our cultural heritage and at the same time prepare it for the future. This also includes a modern view of heritage policy: it is not something in itself, but is connected to other social tasks, such as housing, quality of life, sustainability and spatial development. In this way we ensure that heritage remains valuable, now and in the future.”
Councilor Natasja Groothuismink on behalf of the VNG: “Municipalities are often the first point of contact when it comes to heritage, and we are now participating in the administrative agreements for the first time. This new step further strengthens cooperation between municipalities, provinces and the government. Together we lay a solid policy foundation and ensure sustainable protection of our heritage.”
Social challenges
The previous administrative agreements on heritage date from 2015 and were only concluded between the provinces and the national government. A lot has changed since then. Spatial transitions, major restoration projects, the sustainability of monuments and a shortage of capacity and expertise among municipalities and provinces require a joint approach. High time for new agreements and this time with municipalities at the table.
The new agreements concern four themes: dealing with heritage during the major spatial transitions in the Netherlands, the conservation of monuments, the strengthening of knowledge and capacity in municipalities and provinces, and the proper functioning of the archeology system. Municipalities, provinces and the government are setting up, among other things, the joint Heritage and Government program. Governments are also better coordinating their regulations for the maintenance of monuments.
