The North should not allow itself to be put to sleep by the government, says SER Northern Dutch. Structural investments are needed to achieve broad-based prosperity

“The government’s response remains largely ambiguous at the moment. This runs the risk of The Hague returning to the old system of reinforcing what is already strong.”

This is the conclusion of the advisory body SER North-Holland (Employers, Employees and Scientists) in advice for the northern provinces. The recommendations were presented on Tuesday in The Hague during a symposium on “One year after the report, Every Area Counts.”

The Hague's investment policy turned out to be wrong

This controversial report from the Councils on the Living Environment and Infrastructure, Public Health and Community, and Public Administration criticizes, in no uncertain terms, The Hague's investment policy in recent decades. This especially strengthened areas that were already strong: the Randstad and parts of the central Netherlands. As a result, unwanted differences have arisen between regions, including in the areas of healthcare facilities, education, infrastructure and employment.

Don't let yourself be bought out by temporary regional deals

The government quickly admitted guilt and promised to adjust its investment policy. The SER North-Holland does not have much confidence in this matter and calls on the North to keep its finger on the pulse with other “deprived” areas. Fryslân, Groningen and Drenthe should not be bought in temporary regional deals, said Jock van Dijk, head of SER North Holland. “Only structural changes in The Hague’s investment policy can reverse differences in prosperity.”

North Korea must continue to insist in its pressure on better cost-benefit analysis. It is particularly important to remove the disproportionate weight of agglomeration effects. This gives Randstad an advantage up front. The Noord-Netherlands party concludes that it is wrong, as it believes that contributing to widespread prosperity must be pioneering.

Rapid construction of a night and lobby line for distributing government services

Regarding concrete projects, the advice is to continue to insist on the rapid construction of the Lille Line and the Lower Saxony Line (the railway between Groningen and Enschede). In line with this, it also makes sense to invest in regional public transport connectivity. The North should also call for the construction of “a tunnel under the Wadden Sea to bring green energy generated into the sea.”

Finally, the Northern Advisory Commission recommends that the North monitor the distribution of government services on an ongoing basis. “Because it makes a significant contribution to a more equitable distribution of widespread prosperity throughout the Netherlands.”