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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%.

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 04-07-2022 | 09:30

Monday 4 July 2022 at 16:45, the kick-off of this collaboration takes place at the NDW office in Utrecht. The collaboration is known under the name ‘Safety Priority Services’ (SPS).

Minister Harbers (Infrastructure and Water Management) says: “98% of motorists now use digital information while driving. In addition, pilots and projects show that providing warnings while driving has a positive effect on road safety. I would like to embrace these developments, in part because drivers of cars and trucks, for example, indicate that they appreciate such warnings and increasingly rely on them. That’s why we will now start our collaboration with six organisations: we will ensure that they safely provide the right information to drivers.”

Safety Priority Services
Users of ANWB, Be-Mobile, Hyundai, Inrix, Kia or TomTom will soon notice something new: their car or app will give them a warning, for instance if a vehicle with flashing lights and sirens activated is approaching. The warning will indicate the type of vehicle and the direction from which it is approaching. Initially, this will only work for ambulances. Other types of vehicles will be added later this year.

In addition, drivers will be warned according to criteria agreed by the government, so that they are not unnecessarily distracted. This warning will be given when they approach unexpected and potentially dangerous situations, such as:
•    Wrong-way drivers
•    Traffic jam tail ends
•    Obstacles on the road
•    Roadworks
•    An accident
•    (Temporary) slippery road
•    Exceptional weather conditions, such as a heavy hail shower
•    Closed lanes (‘red crosses’)
•    Road inspectors or other emergency and rescue vehicles along the road

In addition, they will be provided with information about prohibitions and instructions, such as the prevailing speed limits. In due course, it will be examined whether it is possible to have the travel advice provided by navigation systems take account of possible unsafe traffic situations, for example to avoid school zones. 

Gaining knowledge and experience
With Safety Priority Services, the Netherlands is preparing for EU legislation and rules that will enter into force in 2025. In the Netherlands, the companies involved can gain knowledge and experience in prioritising, designing and offering road safety warnings.

In their collaboration, the six companies combine their own data with data from the National Data Portal for Road Traffic (Nationaal Dataportaal Wegverkeer, NDW). The data of the companies themselves ensure that navigation systems know where, for example, there is slow-moving traffic (traffic jam tail ends) or where road inspectors or their vehicles are located. The NDW data are accessible to everyone and contain information about prohibitions and instructions. 

The six parties will provide feedback on the quality of the NDW data, so that it can be improved where necessary. Agreements have also been made with the companies about how their warnings are given: no action by drivers is needed, so that they can keep their hands on the steering wheel.

Privacy
Naturally, the privacy of drivers is safeguarded. The six parties will ask their users whether they can share the information to increase road safety. If users agree, the data will be fully anonymised and shared with the other parties via a secure connection.
 

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 24-06-2022 | 18:41

However, the airport is located in a highly urbanised area in one of the busiest parts of the country, and has negative effects for those who live in the vicinity. Local residents are exposed to aircraft noise and are also concerned about the impact of the airport on their health, the natural environment and the climate more generally.

The government seeks to strike a balance between the importance of having a large international airport – which is also good for the business community – and of a better, healthier living environment. Today the cabinet approved the proposal of the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Mark Harbers, on establishing a new balance.

Considering the public interests involved, the government has decided to prioritise tackling noise nuisance, while ensuring that the airport can continue to fulfil its economic role. This means Amsterdam Schiphol Airport may no longer exceed the established noise nuisance limits, effectively limiting flight movements to a maximum of 440,000 a year. It is expected that this maximum could go into effect in November of next year.

This number of flight movements will allow the airport to maintain its international route network. The possible opening of Lelystad Airport for leisure travel could also contribute to the destinations served by Schiphol, provided that a nature permit is granted to Lelystad airport and the issue of the low approach routes is resolved. All this will take some time, so the government will not make a decision on Lelystad Airport before the summer of 2024.

‘I want to offer certainty, including about the future, to the aviation sector and those who live in the vicinity of the airport,’ Mr Harbers says. ‘This decision serves as a foundation for establishing a new balance. It’s difficult news for the aviation sector, which is still recovering from the huge impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am very much aware of this. We will now be fleshing out the details of our decision on the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, together with local residents and aviation stakeholders.’

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 25-05-2022 | 17:30

The Commission is an independent body, convened by the Government of the Netherlands and facilitated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Chaired by Professor Mariana Mazzucato, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Professor Johan Rockström and Singapore Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, it will develop the new thinking on economics and governance required to lead countries out of the current impasse.

The group is composed of 17 experts, community leaders and practitioners from a broad range of science, policy and front-line practice expertise from all regions of the globe. Collectively, they will provide an independent review of The Economics of Water: An Agenda for the Common Good.

Water management is critical

Water is the first casualty of the climate crisis. Extreme floods, droughts and water stress together are already affecting billions of people. In the absence of urgent and effective responses, they will get worse as a result of climate change, over-extraction of water, pollution and water injustice. Improving how water is managed globally is critical to mitigating the climate crisis and injustice and averting growing social and economic disorder, mass migration and conflicts. Yet, water is almost totally absent from the global policy stage.

“The consequences of our collective neglect and poor governance of our water resources will most impact poor people all over the world who will suffer from inequity of access and ensuing water related conflicts. This is already happening

Existing policies obsolete

Humankind relies on water for its food, for its cities, its industry, for health and for energy. Rainfall variability is growing, extreme water events are becoming more intense and more frequent. Combined with fast-growing pressure on water supplies, this has made existing policies and governance of water obsolete. “We are rapidly changing the global hydrological cycle, due to climate change and ecosystem degradation,” said Johan Rockström. “This is threatening human wellbeing, the global economy and the resilience of societies in the face of rising shocks.”

“The dysfunctions in markets today are not an accident, they are the result of decisions that we have taken in business and governments. If every person on the planet is to have access to enough safe water at an affordable cost, we must govern our economy in a radically different way,” said Mariana Mazzucato.

Solutions

The Global Commission will design solutions that go beyond simply fixing market failures. “What is needed are purpose-driven private-public partnerships on a scale that has never been attempted before, to mobilise finance, invest in innovations and deliver access everywhere to affordable, safe water,” said Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Completing the sustainability trilogy that began with the Stern Review on the economics of climate change and the Dasgupta Review on the economics of biodiversity, the Review by the new Global Commission will provide a fundamental reassessment of the way we manage and value water, and its intrinsic role in addressing climate change and other global challenges.

The Global Commission’s first report will be published to coincide with the UN’s 2023 Water Conference and inform the launch of a “Water Action Agenda”. The two-year project will deliver an action agenda to spur change globally, among governments, local authorities, industry, finance, multilateral institutions and non-state actors.

About the Global Commission

Commission Co-chairs

• Mariana MAZZUCATO, Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London (UCL); Founding Director of the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP); Chair of the World Health Organization Council of the Economics of Health for All; Author of Mission Economy: a moonshot guide to changing capitalism.
• Ngozi OKONJO-IEWALA, Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO); Former Minister of Finance, Nigeria; Former MD, World Bank; Co-Chair, G20 High Level Independent Panel on Financing the Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (2021)
• Johan ROCKSTRÖM, Professor in Earth system science University of Potsdam; Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research; Co-chair of the Earth Commission of the Global Commons Alliance; Member European Investment Bank (EIB) Climate and Environment Advisory Council; and the EU Mission board on Climate Adaptation.
• Tharman SHANMUGARATNAM, Senior Minister, Singapore; Chair, G20 Eminent Persons Group on Global Financial Governance (2017/18); Co-Chair, G20 High Level Independent Panel on Financing the Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (2021)

Commissioners and Lead Experts

• Quentin GRAFTON, Professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University; Chair holder of UNESCO Chair in Water Economics and Transboundary Water Governance
• Joyeeta GUPTA, Professor at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam; co-chair of the Earth Commission of the Global Commons Alliance
• Aromar REVI, Director of the Indian Institute for Human Settlements; Co-Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN); member of the Ubuntu Advisory Board of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), Coordinating Lead Author of the IPCC Assessment Reports 5 and 6

Commissioners

• Yvonne AKI-SAWYERR, Mayor of the City of Freetown, Sierra Leone
• Alicia BÁRCENA IBARRA, Former Executive Secretary of CEPAL, Chile
• LaToya CANTRELL , Mayor of the City of New Orleans, USA
• Arunabha GHOSH , CEO of the Council of Energy, Environment and Water, New Delhi, India
• Naoko ISHII, Executive Vice President and Director, Center for Global Commons, University of Tokyo
• Juan Carlos JINTIACH, Advisor of the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin, Ecuador
• Inge KAUL, Senior Fellow, Hertie School, Berlin, Germany
• QIU Baoxing, President of the Chinese Society for Urban Studies
• Mamphela RAMPHELE, President of the Club of Rome, South Africa
• Ismail SERAGELDIN, Founding Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt

Advisers

• Richard DAMANIA, World Bank, Chief Economist, Sustainable Development Vice Presidency
• Kathleen DOMINIQUE, OECD, Environment Directorate
• Usha RAO-MONARI, UNDP, Under Secretary-General and Associate Administrator
• Abebe SELASSIE, IMF, Director of the African Department

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 29-03-2022 | 08:00

These plans will be made public at Intertraffic Amsterdam on 29 March 2022.
 

Minister Harbers (Infrastructure and Water Management): “At the moment we collect information about the state of our roads through for example non-movable sensors and road inspectors. Because there is no continuous measurement, road managers do not have an up-to-date picture of all locations. This situation can be remedied by using information from passenger cars. Several thousand Mercedes-Benz passenger cars drive past countless locations every day, which means that the anonymised information from these vehicles can inform road managers more quickly about the condition of the road. That is why I find this cooperation a valuable addition. In the next two years, all Dutch road managers will be able to use the information.” 
 

Alert in the event of slippery conditions or potholes 
The sensors that are now helping drivers to drive comfortably and safely can also be utilised to monitor road surface quality. Is it slippery? Are traffic signs and road markings still clearly visible? Is the road surface damaged or are drivers frequently crossing a solid line at a certain point? 
Road managers can use this anonymised information to schedule road maintenance. They are better able to manage maintenance contractors and gritting teams efficiently, for instance. In the end, the quick overview of the road situation will help to improve road safety for all road users. 
 

Road manager sees and organises
If road managers (Rijkswaterstaat, regional or local governments) join the ‘Road Monitor’ initiative, they can see the anonymised data on their roads on a dashboard. That indicates, for example, that “Ten vehicles detected a pothole here yesterday”. The dashboard combines vehicle information with public data such as weather and traffic accidents. 
 

Road Monitor provides road managers with a picture of damage or wear more quickly, which is expected to make it possible to remedy this more efficiently. This allows maintenance to be scheduled, which prevents or even postpones major maintenance, because minor damage is repaired at an earlier stage. This will not only make the road safer for road users, it will also help prevent unexpected disruptions. 
 

Investment by the national government
It has been agreed with Mercedes-Benz that this joint programme will be entered into for two years. During that period, the Ministry, Mercedes-Benz and the road managers who have joined the programme will work in close collaboration in order to ensure the successful implementation of Road Monitor. This involves questions such as: Is the information sufficiently detailed and reliable? How can this information best be shared with road managers? What does this mean for work processes? Does it generate sufficient results?

The dashboard will be financed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management for a period of two years. All road managers can use the information free of charge during this period. They can subscribe through www.roadmonitor.nl. At the end of 2023, the situation will be reviewed and the added value of these data will be evaluated.
 

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 19-09-2023 | 15:44

In the 2024 Budget Memorandum the government follows up on the agreements set out in the 2023 Spring Memorandum. Money has therefore been earmarked for tackling climate issues, strengthening the rule of law and raising the minimum income in the Caribbean part of the Netherlands. In addition, parents impacted by the failings in the childcare benefit system, people living in the Groningen earthquake zone, and Ukrainians – for all their differences – all remain entitled to undiminished support from the government.

‘It is appropriate, given its caretaker status, that the government show restraint,’ said Minister of Finance Sigrid Kaag. ‘We nevertheless have a responsibility to strive for a decent standard of living for all. Now and in the future. We will do what has to be done until a new government takes office. We have therefore put together a balanced package which includes measures aimed at helping the most vulnerable people in society.’
The State Secretary for Tax Affairs and the Tax Administration, Marnix van Rij, said ‘We need to collect tax in order to fund government spending. On education, infrastructure and security. We are also continuing our efforts to make the tax system simpler for members of the public, businesses and the implementing agencies.’

‘The government will continue to work on solving the problems people run up against,’ said the State Secretary for Benefits and Customs, Aukje de Vries. ‘I am pleased that, despite our caretaker status, this government is presenting a targeted package of measures to support people’s incomes. And we will continue our work to resolve the persistent problems in the benefits system and, for businesses that trade internationally, at Customs.’

Purchasing power and poverty measures

The purchasing power of people on low incomes is an issue that has the government’s close attention. Most people will experience an increase in purchasing power next year – by 1.7% for the average person in the Netherlands. But there are differences between groups in the development of purchasing power. One way to prevent this through the tax system is to increase the employment tax credit by €115. As a result, people in work who receive between the minimum wage and a modal income will keep more of the money they earn.

Families with children will also be better off. Supplementary child benefit will rise by up to €750 for the first child, by up to €883 for the second and subsequent children and by €400 for children between 12 and 17 years of age. The term ‘benefit partner’ will be redefined from 2025. This means that, for example, grandparents who move in with their children to live in an informal care situation will no longer have their benefits cut.
Social security benefits will increase fully in line with the minimum wage, because the double tax credit for social assistance benefit recipients will not be reduced in 2024. Free breakfast will again be provided at schools attended by a large proportion of children from financially vulnerable households – €165 million will be made available to fund this in the coming year. Housing benefit will be raised by up to €416. And people who cannot pay their energy bills can apply for assistance from the Temporary Emergency Fund for Energy until the end of March 2024.

Owing to these measures, the number of people living in poverty in the Netherlands will remain the same at 4.8% of the population. This is 1.3% lower than when the government took office. The number of children living in poverty will fall to 5.1%, 2.1% lower than when the government took office.

Public finances

The 2024 Budget Memorandum is the budget for next year. Expenditure in 2024 is expected to exceed €430 billion and revenue will be over €402 billion. The budget deficit is expected to be 2.9% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024. The national debt will be 47.3% of GDP in 2024, well below the EU threshold of 60%.

The debt level will rise in the coming years, to 52.9% in 2028. This issue will continue to command the government’s attention, since it is important for future generations that the public finances remain sound. This is also the reason why the government has fully funded the expenditure on the purchasing power package.

2024 Tax Plan

This year the Tax Plan contains necessary measures for society and the tax system, including key measures to support purchasing power and fight poverty, as well of course as the measures needed to pay for this expenditure. This extra spending will be partly funded by windfalls in 2024. 

But due to financial setbacks in other areas, it will also be necessary to raise additional tax revenue. Consequently, people on higher incomes will pay more tax, in part because the level at which the top rate of tax applies will be reached sooner. The government is also raising excise duties on alcohol, smoking tobacco and cigarettes, partly to encourage healthier lifestyles. Because of the fall in revenue from box 3 income under the current system, the capital yield tax allowance will not be indexed to inflation and the tax rate rise to 34% is being brought forward by a year. In addition, the SME profit exemption will be reduced from 14% to 12.7%. As a result, the difference in the tax treatment of employees and the self-employed will become smaller.

The government will also take measures to improve and simplify the tax system. From next year, employees can receive a higher tax-free allowance for travel costs from their employer. The existing box 3 system will be improved by treating more forms of wealth as savings.

The government will remove the financial incentive for providers of legal assistance to lodge objections on behalf of individual citizens and businesses. This includes objections to decisions on the assessed value of property under the Valuation of Immovable Property Act (WOZ) and car and motorcycle tax (BPM) returns. The government is also improving or abolishing certain tax relief schemes, including in relation to motor vehicle tax (MRB) and BPM. In addition, the government is opting to retain the business succession scheme (BOR). But it will be improved in a number of respects so that it better fulfils its purpose, namely preventing the continuity of a business from being jeopardised upon its transfer.

Business taxpayers who unintentionally make an error in a customs declaration will no longer face criminal prosecution. Instead, they will receive an administrative fine. The period over which a retrospective assessment can be imposed will change from five to three years.

Making the tax system greener is an important part of the Tax Plan. A substantial task faces us as a society regarding the climate. This means we cannot afford to stand still when it comes to the climate commitments we have made. The government will therefore take steps, where possible and effective, to phase out tax exemptions and reduced rates that apply to the use of fossil fuels.

Caribbean Netherlands 2024

The 2024 Tax Plan also includes the 2024 Tax Plan for the islands of Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba. The plan for these islands includes measures to improve and simplify the tax system. The customary pay for director-major shareholders will be amended. An additional €32 million is being made available annually on a structural basis to improve purchasing power in the Caribbean part of the Netherlands.