A coalition of Dutch organizations and institutions has called on the caretaker cabinet to involve them in drafting the national plan for an application to the large European recovery fund.
The call is supported not only by municipalities (VNG), provinces (IPO), and water boards (UVW), but also by BouwendNederland, VNO-NCW, and MKB. Nearly 6 billion euros in subsidies are available to the Netherlands from Europe.
Countries can claim the European funds if they implement structural reforms and investments. This is intended to make European economies more resilient to economic shocks and strengthen their growth potential. The Netherlands is the only EU country that has not yet submitted a plan for the European subsidy from the Recovery & Resilience Facility (RRF) recovery fund.
The advocates' goal is to work towards a smart, clean, and strong (regional) economy. This involves investing in innovation, infrastructure, and the labor market. The Fit-for-55 climate package from Brussels demonstrates that adjustments to Dutch climate plans are necessary. Many sectors require measures and investments for this.
To be eligible for the subsidies, the Netherlands must create a plan. This plan must be submitted to Brussels for approval. This process has been delayed because the cabinet formation is ongoing. The Netherlands must submit the plan by no later than April 2022.
Another condition is that at least 37 percent of the available funds must be spent on climate policy and 20 percent on the digital transition. For the Netherlands, this means that 2.2 billion and respectively 1.2 billion euros are available for projects related to climate or digitalization.
The coalition of institutions and umbrella organizations is asking to be actively involved in the plans. It also offers to cooperate to help turn the plans into reality.
For example, water boards could use the RRF funds to invest in improving and future-proofing wastewater treatment plants, enhancing water quality, and making the urban (waste)water system more sustainable and climate-resilient.