Author: Selwyn Manning

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 14-12-2021 | 19:15

The government is therefore prolonging the measures introduced on 28 November, until at least Friday 14 January 2022. Primary schools, schools for special (primary) education, and out-of-school care facilities (BSO) will also be closed in the week before Christmas. BSO will be open during the regular Christmas break. Primary schools will reopen again on Monday 10 January 2022.

The situation will be reviewed on 14 January, or possibly at an earlier date if the Outbreak Management Team gains important new insights into the Omicron variant.

Measures and urgent advice

• Everyone should stay at home as much as possible, and limit their number of contacts outside the home.
• Always stay 1.5 metres away from other people.
• Be careful when receiving visitors and visiting others:
  • Receive no more than 4 visitors per day (not including children under 13) and limit visits to one a day.
  • Do a self-test before visiting others or receiving visitors.
  • People aged 70 years and over are advised to limit their contacts as much as possible, including with children under 13, and to observe 1.5 metre distancing.
• Face masks are required for everyone aged 13 and over on public transport and on platforms, at bus stops and stations, and when moving around schools or public indoor spaces such as shops, museums, restaurants and bars.
• Coronavirus entry passes are mandatory for everyone aged 13 and over at all locations where people are assigned seats, such as restaurants and bars, theatres, concert halls, museums and cinemas, and in indoor sports venues. At all these locations, people must stay 1.5 metres apart.
• Between 17.00 and 05.00 most locations must be closed and events are not permitted.
  • Essential shops, such as supermarkets and chemists, can stay open until 20.00.
  • Specific service providers, such as notaries, lawyers, mortgage advisors and medical health professionals, can be open for their normal opening hours.
• Amateur sports matches and training are not permitted between 17.00 and 05.00. Professional sports matches and training and professional artistic and cultural activities are permitted, even after 17.00. No spectators or audiences.
• At locations where there is a continuous flow of visitors, capacity is limited to 1 person per 5 square metres.
• In higher education the maximum group size is 75 people per room. In theatres and auditoriums up to 1,250 people are allowed at once.
• Work at home. If this is impossible: stay 1.5 metres apart at work.

Check the overview of basic rules, measures, conditions and exceptions.

Primary education

Primary schools and schools for special (primary) education will close the week before the Christmas holiday (in Dutch only). Out-of-school care facilities will also be closed during this week. Schools will be open to provide emergency care for vulnerable children and the children of key workers in crucial sectors (in Dutch only). Schools are not required to provide distance learning during this week.

Booster offensive accelerated for all adults

Because of the Omicron variant everyone aged 18 and over will be invited to receive a booster vaccination by the second half of January. This can help increase protection against the new variant and combat its spread. The booster vaccination schedule is based on age, from oldest to youngest. People will now be able to get the vaccine booster 3 months, instead of 6 months, after their last vaccination or most recent positive test. A total of 8.5 million adults are eligible for a booster. Before the end of the year nearly all people over 60 will have been invited to get their booster vaccination.

Financial support

The government is extending the support package (in Dutch only) for businesses, self-employed people, cultural organisations (in Dutch only) and sports organisations affected by these measures until the end of March 2022. A total of €4.4 billion has been set aside for this purpose.

Support for the events industry is being extended until the end of the third quarter. Events that are prohibited by the government during this period are eligible for support, although organisers will be liable for a greater share of the risk.

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 26-11-2021 | 19:11

Measures and urgent advice

• Everyone should stay at home as much as possible.
• Between 17.00 and 05.00 locations must be closed and events are not permitted.
• Everyone aged 18 and over must stay 1.5 metres away from others.
• Essential shops, such as supermarkets and chemists, can stay open until 20.00. 
• Essential service providers, such as notaries, lawyers, mortgage advisors and medical health professionals, can be open for their normal opening hours.
• Amateur sports matches and training are not permitted between 17.00 and 05.00. Professional sports matches and training and professional artistic and cultural activities are permitted, even after 17.00. No spectators or audiences.
• Face masks while moving around and 1.5-metre distancing are required at all locations where people have assigned seats, such as restaurants, bars, cinemas and theatres. This means fewer people can be admitted to these locations.
• 1.5-metre distancing and face masks will be required at all locations with a continuous flow of visitors, such as trade fairs. This means fewer people can be admitted to these locations. 
• The rules for working from home have been tightened: ‘Work from home. If this is impossible: stay 1.5 metres apart at work.’
• Do a self-test before visiting others or receiving visitors.
• Take extra care in situations where people aged 70 and over come into contact with children aged 12 and under.

A complete overview of measures, conditions and exceptions can be found at government.nl/coronavirus.

The rules and advice already in place continue to apply. This includes the basic rules, the advice to receive no more than 4 visitors per day, face mask requirements, the ban on spectators at sports events, the maximum number of 1,250 people at large venues, and the coronavirus entry pass rules and assigned seating requirement in the hospitality and cultural sectors. 

Education

Schools will remain open. However, extra rules and arrangements are necessary to prevent the spread of the virus (in Dutch only) as much as possible. These include fixed routes in schools, a face mask requirement in hallways for pupils in primary years 6 to 8 and at secondary schools, as well as regular self-testing. Children aged 12 and under with cold symptoms – such as a runny nose – must stay at home and get tested by the municipal health service (GGD), even if their symptoms are mild. 

Financial support

The government realises that these stricter measures will have a significant impact on businesses and workers, and is therefore significantly expanding the support package (in Dutch only). The Temporary Emergency Scheme for Job Retention (NOW) will be reintroduced and the fixed costs grant will be raised. This expansion of the support package will total almost €2.2 billion.

Booster offensive

As many older people as possible will receive a vaccine booster before the end of 2021. The GGDs, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and other parties are launching a booster offensive to this end (in Dutch only). Assistance will be provided by 750 Ministry of Defence personnel and by students. The rollout of vaccine boosters for older people who cannot travel to a vaccination location,  originally scheduled to begin in January 2022, has been brought forward and will start next week.

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 11-11-2021 | 11:00

Geopolitical developments drive the EU to think in lines of open strategic autonomy. This means identifying our strengths and weaknesses such as a lack of commodities or unfair competition in the Single Market based on subsidies from non-EU countries. It requires us to decide where we need to uphold and where we need to target our efforts and spearhead innovation and technology at the global stage. This ensures our safety and prosperity against those operators that do not play the game according to a rules-based multilateral order. Not only on the short term but rather for the longer term.  

But we can only do this, by not forgetting that the cornerstone of our economic success is the EU’s Single Market. Fair and open competition ensures a level playing field in a home market of hundreds of millions of consumers. It provides ample opportunities for businesses big and small to grow far beyond EU borders. It has and will provide for the jobs and wellbeing of our European citizens and its future generations. The strength of that Single Market is our key leverage in a geopoliticised world.

In a few weeks’ time, the Commission is expected to publish a review of the EU’s competition toolbox in light of efforts to boost Europe’s economic recovery and tackling the challenges described above. Ensuring that our existing rulebook is fit for new challenges is very important. We need to adapt to enable structural changes such as digitalisation and fighting climate change. However, when modernising the rules, we must not jeopardise the effectiveness and politically independent character of our competition and state aid framework. Relaxation of our rules, as some suggest, is not the right way to tackle new challenges. It could easily lead to negative effects on competition, markets and growth on the Single Market as well as a harmful subsidy race that benefits few and hurts many. It will not strengthen the global competitiveness of European companies and will harm our level playing field at home.

So how should the European Commission protect the level playing field and strengthen the Single Market?
 

• First, it should preserve evidence-based and independent enforcement of the competition rules and maintain the strong competition framework on mergers and antitrust. To ensure high quality products and choice at the best possible price, the fundamental principles on which competition rules rest must be upheld. Relaxing the competition framework on mergers and anti-trust is not the solution to deal with global developments or strengthen the EU’s competitiveness and resilience. The Commission has put forward targeted solutions to ensure that the competition toolbox is fit for new challenges. We should await the full effect of these efforts before proceeding with new initiatives.
   
• Second, it should ensure that the so-called Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) target clear market failures and address a restrictive number of strategic objectives and challenges of the Union. IPCEI is an instrument that, in a smart and selective manner, enables member states to provide state aid for projects of broad European importance. It is a justified instrument which we support and participate in, but it also poses risks for the level playing field in the EU. Excessive and non-targeted use of the instrument would lead to subsidy races and unfair competition within the EU. That is why, IPCEIs should be used proportionately, carried out in a fully open and transparent manner, target clear market failures, involve support for neither mass production nor commercial activities, and result from clear and balanced EU long-term strategies. We, therefore, support a larger role for the Commission to streamline the IPCEI processes and to ensure the projects benefit the whole of the EU.
   
• Finally, the Commission should formulate the conditions for an exit path from the Temporary State Aid Framework for Covid-19. The Temporary Framework has proved useful to allow support for our economies during the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic – also now with increasing infection rates that require restrictive measures. But once large parts of Europe will return to ‘normal’ life, restrictions will no longer be necessary and our economies will recover from the pandemic, an exit strategy from the temporary framework needs to be in place.

Maintaining a robust competition and state aid framework matters to ensure a level playing field on the Single Market. If we as the EU preach a global level playing field, we should lead by example and set the stage with suitable policies. If we do so, we have the best chance of strengthening our competitiveness, realising sustainable growth through innovation and aspiring to prosperity for all EU citizens. 

By Denmark’s Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs Simon Kollerup, Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy Stef Blok, Finnish Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen, Irish Tánaiste and Minster for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar, Romania’s Chairman of the Competition Authority Bogdan Chiritoiu, and Swedish Minister for Business, Industry and Innovation Ibrahim Baylan.

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 30-08-2021 | 00:00

The government has great respect for the resilience, creativity and perseverance that companies, business owners, self-employed professionals and workers have shown during this exceptionally difficult period. It has been a tough time in which entire industries came to a standstill and people sometimes lost their jobs or businesses. However, thanks in part to the support packages for jobs and the economy, the number of bankruptcies has been kept to a minimum and unemployment rates are low. The economic figures are encouraging: the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis expects growth of 3.8% in 2021 and 3.2% in 2022. Continuing with the generic measures in the support package would disrupt this recovery. The rising shortage on the labour market is a clear indication of this. The support package will therefore end on 1 October 2021. 

The government realises that the situation for certain groups will be difficult in the period ahead. Nightlife venues must still remain closed, and some businesses are facing a different world compared to the beginning of 2020. A number of support schemes will therefore remain in effect in the fourth quarter to promote labour market dynamism and economic adaptability. A total of over €80 billion has been disbursed since the introduction of the support package in March 2020. 

Guarantee schemes

The coronavirus funding schemes KKC, Qredits bridging credit, BMKB-C and GO-C will remain in place throughout the rest of the year to continue facilitating market financing. Businesses in need of liquidity can make use of these schemes. The Events Guarantee Fund will also continue in the fourth quarter.

Tax

As previously announced, the possibility of requesting a tax deferral will end on 1 October. Since the beginning of the crisis, 369,000 business owners have taken advantage of this option, amounting to €40.4 billion in deferred taxes. A large part of the tax debt has already been repaid (€16.6 billion) or reduced if, for example, the tax assessment was incorrect (€4.6 billion). There is currently a net balance of €19.2 billion in outstanding tax debt, representing the tax deferrals of 270,000 business owners. Business owners are expected to start paying taxes again as of 1 October 2021. The date for business owners to begin repaying their deferred taxes has already been pushed back to 1 October 2022, with a five-year repayment term. This applies to all debts of business owners who have been granted a deferral of payment due to the pandemic, including debts for which business owners did not request an extension. 

A number of other tax measures implemented due to the pandemic will continue until 1 January 2022, such as the untaxed travel allowance and the payment freeze for mortgages. In addition, the Netherlands is consulting with Germany and Belgium to continue the agreements on the taxation of cross-border workers until 1 January 2022.

Nightclubs and discos

As previously announced, the government is working on a targeted compensation scheme for nightclubs and discos if they are still unable to reopen after 1 October. These businesses are in an exceptional situation, because they represent the only sector that remains completely closed under government orders. The implementation of such a targeted scheme is very complex and requires a lot of work from the implementing organisations. The government is therefore taking a careful look at what is technically and legally possible.

Discontinuation of Tozo

From 1 October, business owners who need financial support can once again apply for financial support for self-employed professionals (Bbz scheme). To ensure that municipalities can handle this, the government has decided to simplify the implementation of the scheme until the end of this year. Under these changes, municipalities will not have to carry out means-testing, entrepreneurs can apply for Bbz benefits with retroactive effect of up to two months and the municipality will determine the income and the amount of the Bbz benefit per calendar month (instead of per financial year). From 1 January 2022 onwards, municipalities will once again implement the Bbz scheme without any changes.

Return of Regulation for Reduction in Working Hours

The Regulation for Reduction in Working Hours (WTV) was suspended due to the introduction of the NOW scheme. Once the NOW scheme is discontinued, the WTV will be reintroduced on 1 October. This regulation provides assistance to employers who are affected by exceptional circumstances that fall outside the scope of entrepreneurial risk. The reintroduced WTV is explicitly not intended for coronavirus-related circumstances, but for short-term exceptional circumstances.

Supplementary social package

With the introduction of a supplementary social package, the government has made additional funds available to provide new prospects for people who are facing uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic. 
As part of this package, municipalities, the Employment Insurance Agency and regional mobility teams will help those in need find a new job, new business activities and an income by offering intensive guidance, career advice and practical training at the secondary vocational education (MBO) level. These efforts will help people receiving social assistance or unemployment benefits, people who are at risk of losing their job due to the organisation’s bankruptcy and self-employed professionals receiving Tozo benefits who are looking for work. Municipalities, schools and regional mobility teams will help young people find work or continue their education. The package also includes help for people who are facing financial problems due to the pandemic. 

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 13-12-2022 | 22:00

In addition to Curaçao itself, conference attendees Aruba, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, the British Virgin Islands, St Maarten, St Eustatius en Bonaire also expressed interest in taking part in the group. Besides government representatives, the conference in Curaçao was also attended by regional development banks (CDB and IADB), regional networks (including CARICOM CCCCC, UNECLAC and IWEco) and experts (including the KNMI, Meteo Curaçao and GWP Caribbean).

The Champions Group is made up of countries and islands that face major climate challenges, such as flooding, drought, fresh-water shortages or sea-level rise, and therefore need to invest a great deal in relative terms in adaptation measures. The group will form the political component of the International Panel on Deltas and Coastal Areas (IPDC), which will be formally established at the UN Water Conference in March 2023. Financial and knowledge institutions can also join the partnership, ensuring coherence between the scientific, technological, financial and political aspects of this issue.

Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas (Curacao) states: “The Earth is our home; a place that we need to cherish and protect. We can only achieve this if we are committed to work together.”

Minister Harbers (Infrastructure and Water Management) states: “Climate change is causing more extreme weather events and sea-level rise. That brings all kinds of water-related challenges, and not only for the European and Caribbean Netherlands, but also for other islands in the Caribbean. In the Netherlands we are working hard to prepare climate adaptation plans. I believe flood safety should be a priority all over the world. So it is essential to join forces and to share knowledge.”

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal on water

Countries and islands can commit to join the IPDC up until the UN Water Conference begins next March. Taking part will make it easier for them to develop a climate change strategy. Earlier committed Bangladesh, India, Colombia, Egypt and Vietnam to joint the panel.

At the UN Water Conference the first recommendations on climate adaptation will be presented for several member countries. Also, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) will publish a report on climate scenarios and how to respond to these trends.

The UN Water Conference is aimed at accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal on water (SDG 6). The Netherlands is co-hosting the conference with Tajikistan.

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 17-11-2022 | 17:00

Clean vehicles mean fewer emissions

Heavy road transport plays a vital role in transporting goods and people. And the Netherlands is a major transport hub. However, heavy road transport also causes a significant amount of pollution. In fact, it is responsible for more than third of carbon emissions and 70% of nitrogen emissions from all road transport. It also produces a significant amount of harmful gases which people breathe in.

The Netherlands had already expressed its intention to ensure that all heavy road transport is zero-emission by 2050. Given that the average lifespan of a lorry is around ten years, this means that all new heavy road transport vehicles will need to be zero-emission from 2040 onwards. At COP26 in Glasgow last year, the Netherlands launched an agreement to this effect. Today, ten new countries signed up to that agreement.

‘It’s great that this agreement is really gaining momentum and that more and more countries are signing up,’ says Minister for the Environment Vivianne Heijnen. ‘Together, we can make the difference. By sending a clear signal to the market that, in the near future, there’ll be more options for transport companies wishing to make the switch to electric or hydrogen vehicles. That’s good for them and good for the climate. I’d like to call on other countries to join us in this endeavour.’

Global cooperation vital

In addition to the 26 countries that have already signed up, a large number of states, banks, companies and heavy goods vehicle manufactures have also become signatories. Examples include California, DHL, Heineken, Scania and BYD. One pressing issue that signatories are working together on is the question of how to bridge the price gap between diesel and electric or hydrogen vehicles. At present, the difference is still significant, which means that businesses are reluctant to make the switch. The Netherlands has a grant scheme for the purchase of zero-emission lorries. And in India, where a state is a co-signatory to the agreement, major contract award procedures for electric buses are financed with private money, which is also helping to close the price gap.

Climate agreement

The Netherlands wants all road transport to be zero-emission by 2050. That has been set out in the National Climate Agreement. In order to achieve this, all new cars will need to be zero-emission by around 2030 and all heavy transport by around 2040. As more countries pursue similar aims, there will be a greater incentive for manufacturers to offer cleaner models of buses and lorries. This will create more choice and mean that making the switch to a cleaner alternative becomes cheaper. One challenge in this regard is ensuring that enough infrastructure like charging points and hydrogen refuelling stations are built. The Netherlands is working hard on this, both at home and in an EU context. Minister Heijnen expects to announce a grant scheme for hydrogen refuelling stations later this year.

Participating countries
In addition to the Netherlands, the following countries are signatories to the agreement: Aruba, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Curacao, Croatia, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Finland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Switzerland Türkiye, Ukraine, Uruguay, the United Kingdom, the United States and Wales.

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 17-11-2022 | 08:30

Training

The Dutch Cycling Embassy, a Dutch organisation working to promote cycling, will be teaming up with the Transport Decarbonisation Alliance, a public-private partnership making transport more sustainable, to organise training for people in developing countries who want to become cycling experts. Also involved will be the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which has a great deal of experience with similar projects in Africa. Potential participants include traffic experts and urban planners, who will learn how to encourage people to cycle and how infrastructure can help create a safe and enjoyable environment for cyclists in cities. This benefits the climate and our health, as well as public spaces and clean air in cities. Moreover, cycling and cycling infrastructure are relatively cheap. The Dutch government will cover the start-up costs of the training programme, which amount to €150,000. The ultimate goal is to train 40 groups of 25 participants in 10 regions worldwide. This will result in a total of 10,000 experts in ten years.

‘We’re lucky in the Netherlands,’ Ms Heijnen says. ‘We’ve known about the benefits of cycling for years, and we have the money to invest in good cycle paths and bicycle parking. I want the same for other countries, in their interests and in the interests of the environment. This is why we’re signing agreements today to create more cycling expertise worldwide, and why at the climate summit I’m calling on banks, governments and development organisations to invest in cycling.’

Manuel de Araujo, mayor of Quelimane, Mozambique:
“Quelimane could not have become the cycling city it is today if required knowledge and skill to transform attitudes and to build roads for walking and cycling was not developed first. Education and capacity-building are crucial for building safe and high-quality infrastructure for active mobility. That is why I sincerely hope more countries and financial institutions will support this call to action.”  

Institutions like the World Bank are also increasingly recognizing the importance of investing in active mobility, according to Global Director Transport Nicolas Peltier-Thiberge: “The World Bank is committed to decarbonizing the transport sector, and promoting active mobility is a crucial element to this transition.”

Cycling at the COP27 climate summit

This is the first time that cycling has been given such a prominent role at a climate summit, with three sessions on the subject. The Dutch session is about international funding for cycling infrastructure being made available by development banks and through climate finance. This is particularly important for developing countries, where money is not always available. In many of these countries there is increasing demand for transportation and there are many good reasons for turning to cycling to meet that need. The World Bank, the World Resources Institute, the European Cyclists’ Federation, UNEP and many cities including Utrecht and Quelimane, Mozambique, will be participating in the Netherlands’ event. Last Monday Ms Heijnen announced a government investment of €780 million in cycling infrastructure in the Netherlands.

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 06-09-2022 | 20:30

Charging electric cars needs to become easier, safer and smarter. Dutch environment minister Vivianne Heijnen and Yana Garcia Gonzalez, Secretary for Environmental Protection of California, signed an agreement to this end today. Experts from the Netherlands and California will work together towards better regulation and greater use of new technologies. This is necessary if by 2035 all new cars sold in the European Union and California are to be zero-emission. The agreement was signed during the Dutch trade mission to San Francisco, in the presence of Queen Máxima and California’s Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis.

‘Electric vehicles and good charging stations go together like a train and a railroad,’ Ms Heijnen said. ‘And there is still so much to gain when it comes to charging technology. It’s an area in which the Netherlands and California have considerable expertise. So, together, we can make great strides towards smarter, easier and safer charging, benefiting the climate as well as EV drivers. There are several companies with this kind of know-how in the Netherlands, which creates good economic opportunities for us.’

“When it comes to climate action, California punches above our weight. We’re working with countries around the world to cut pollution and usher in a new era of zero-emission vehicles. California and the Netherlands are proud to stand side by side in our collective efforts to advance bold climate policies and protect communities from Alameda to Amsterdam,” said Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis.

Collaboration between experts

The Netherlands and California both have major, innovative testing facilities for developing and testing the latest technologies for fast-charging, smart-charging and cybersecurity. This generates a lot of new knowledge. Experts from ElaadNL and the California Energy Commission are now going to conduct tests together and, based on their applied knowledge and experience, will advise legislators in the Netherlands, the US and the EU on incorporating cybersecurity, user-friendliness and safety requirements into new legislation. The first meeting is scheduled to take place next spring.

Specifically, the Netherlands and California want charging station companies to use the same open standards worldwide, so that drivers can use any charging station without first needing to take out a separate subscription. This will promote convenience and reduce drivers’ uncertainty, for instance when they go on holiday abroad. It will also make it easier for charging station manufacturers to market their products internationally.

Another objective is to speed up the development of smart-charging. This enables EVs to feed power from their battery back into the grid, for instance when there is a lot of demand for electricity. Increasing the grid’s peak capacity in this way could help solve the problems currently besetting the grid. However, the smarter charging stations get, the more important it is to protect them against hackers. Digital security is therefore a key precondition for smart charging technology.

Ambitions

The Netherlands and California both have big ambitions when it comes to electric driving. The Netherlands is a pioneer in Europe, California in the US. The Netherlands has a relatively large number of charging stations and there are also several businesses that manufacture and operate them commercially, at home and elsewhere, including in the US. Products and services related to electric driving, such as the manufacture and sale of charging stations, contribute some €5 billion a year to the Dutch national income.

As a frontrunner in electric driving in the US, California is also home to many companies that make EV components and charging stations.

Circular economy and climate adaptation

For many years now the Netherlands and California have been working together in a wide variety of fields. In their Memorandum of Understanding, they also agree to expand their ongoing collaboration in the areas of circular economy, sustainability and climate adaptation. To this end, an action programme will be presented later this year.

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 30-08-2022 | 19:00

‘Countries worldwide are realising that recycling alone is not enough to preserve our planet for future generations,’ Ms Heijnen said. ‘Single-use plastic products in particular are still polluting our rivers, forests and seas. Worldwide, we need to make the switch to reusing plastic products. So plastic isn’t just sent to be recycled or, more likely, ends up polluting the environment after just one use. Let’s make reuse the norm and prevent environmental pollution.’

Preparations for ambitious UN treaty

At their annual meeting, the members of the G20 – the EU and 19 major global ¬economies,¬ including the US, Japan, China, India, Brazil and some European countries – decide on joint ambitions for the coming years. The Netherlands is not a permanent member of the G20 but has been invited to attend this year by the current presidency, Indonesia. Ms Heijnen hopes that the G20 meeting of environment ministers will result in more far-reaching plans to combat plastic waste and, consequently, encourage the reuse of plastic. This would represent an important step towards an ambitious, legally binding UN agreement on reducing plastic pollution worldwide. Such a treaty should ultimately result in binding national legislation in the signatory countries. The treaty should be in place by 2024, as agreed at the Environment Assembly held earlier this year. This will require intense negotiations over the next two years.

‘Let’s be honest: in the Netherlands, too, we have a long way to go. But we’ve made a good start. As of 2024 it will be mandatory to use regular, washable tableware when you eat out or have a drink anywhere in the Netherlands, instead of using disposable items. I believe it is our responsibility, as G20 countries and major global economies, to take the lead, think big and act fast. Getting the G20 to endorse reuse in order to prevent environmental pollution could pave the way to a binding, ambitious UN treaty.’

Multinationals biggest source of plastic pollution

Although the situation in each country is different, a large proportion of plastic pollution can be attributed to choices made by a number of leading multinationals. Ms Heijnen wants to talk to them about what they can do to increase options for reuse, such as enabling consumers to return used ready-meal packaging to the supermarket so it can be reused. ‘Worldwide, packaging produced by major players like Nestlé, Coca-Cola and Unilever is still the biggest source of plastic pollution,’ she added. ‘At the same time, they’re also well on the way to reducing single-use plastics and increasing reuse. I believe the G20 should engage with these companies. Supporting their initiatives by introducing statutory requirements, for instance, works better than pointing the finger.’

G20

Ms Heijnen is representing the Netherlands at the G20 Joint Environment and Climate Ministers Meeting in Bali from Monday 29 August to Thursday 1 September, together with Rob Jetten, Minister for Climate and Energy Policy. The Netherlands is a guest country at the summit, which is aimed at exchanging knowledge and agreeing on ambitions in the areas of the environment and the circular economy. Ms Heijnen will also be visiting the NGO EcoBali which is doing vital work to combat plastic pollution in Bali, as well as a local supermarket offering a refill service.

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 26-08-2022 | 12:00

‘Bicycles help us get ahead, literally and figuratively,’ Ms Heijnen says. ‘People in the Netherlands take this for granted, but it doesn’t happen by itself. That’s why in the years ahead I’ll be working with other public authorities and employers to make cycling an attractive option for even more people. In the interests of accessibility, public health and clean air.’

Cycling to work

Ms Heijnen wants to get an extra 100,000 people commuting by bicycle over the next two and a half years. This will reduce congestion on the roads and make public transport less crowded. People who cycle to work also report sick less often, on average. Despite working from home becoming more common, rush hours are expected to get busier in the years ahead. The coalition agreement provides the state secretary with €50 million to further improve bicycle parking at train stations, encouraging more people to do part of their commute by bike. She will also expressly seek to work with employers on this.

Ms Heijnen wants to contribute to the development of a national network of bicycle superhighways, something that provincial and local authorities have been working on for some years now. These continuous cycle paths, often connecting one town or city to the next, are designed with special attention to efficiency and safety, perfect for commuting to work or school. The state secretary will contribute structural funding of €6 million annually.

Cycling and new housing estates

There is a large shortage of housing in the Netherlands. The government wants plans for new housing estates to explicitly address the role of cycling, because accessible neighbourhoods are liveable neighbourhoods. Ms Heijnen will therefore consult with regional authorities twice a year to see where cycling can enhance residential accessibility, in addition to public transport and private cars. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management is providing a total of €7.5 billion for accessible neighbourhoods. In many cases, the funding will go to local and provincial plans for combined transport involving cars, public transport and bikes. In an initial funding round, Ms Heijnen and infrastructure minister Mark Harbers are providing a total of €370 million for 21 infrastructure projects across the Netherlands that expressly promote bicycle use, for example superhighways, underpasses and bridges specifically for bicycles. It is expected that resources will also be available for cycling infrastructure in future funding rounds.

Esther van Garderen, director of the Dutch Cyclists’ Union (Fietsersbond), is pleased with central government’s funding of cycling infrastructure. ‘Good infrastructure is key in getting people on their bikes, and making sure they can cycle safely. Local and provincial authorities had already drafted good plans that can now be carried out, thanks to the ministry’s support,’ she says. ‘It really is great news.’

Bicycles against transport poverty

There are more than 200,000 children and teenagers in the Netherlands whose parents are on social assistance benefit. These families cannot always afford a bicycle, meaning they miss out on the many advantages. Cycling isn’t just healthy, it also offers children and their parents freedom and independence. The state secretary wants to enable more of these children to get around by bike. The ministry is currently investigating how this could be done. An action plan will be published shortly.

Bicycling boosts the economy

Besides the many social benefits of cycling, it also boosts the Dutch economy. A recent study found that bicycle manufacturing, sales, maintenance and rental together account for 13,000 fulltime jobs in the Netherlands, divided over more than 3,350 companies. In 2020 Dutch companies sold 1.2 million bicycles, more than a million of which were sold abroad. The bicycle sector’s total export value is just under €2 billion. And the sector is earning more and more of its income abroad: between 2015 and 2020 the export value increased by 70%.