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Following the unprecedented crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dutch recovery and resilience plan has responded to the urgent need to foster a strong recovery, while making the Dutch economy and society more resilient and future ready. In response to the energy market disruption caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Commission launched the REPowerEU Plan. The Recovery and Resilience Facility is at the heart of its implementation and its funding. Under REPowerEU, EU countries are updating their recovery and resilience plans with new measures to save energy and diversify the EU’s energy supplies.
Green transition
Focusing on green technologies and capacities - sustainable mobility, energy efficiency and renewables, climate change adaptation; circular economy; and biodiversity.
Policies for the next generation
Improving access to and the quality of general, vocational, and higher education; focusing on digital education, early childhood education and care; supporting youth employment.
Smart, sustainable, inclusive growth
promoting entrepreneurship, competitiveness, industrialisation; improving the business environment; fostering research, development and innovation, supporting small- and medium-sized businesses.
Digital transformation
Promoting the roll-out of very high-capacity networks, the digitalisation of public services, government processes, and businesses, in particular SMEs; developing basic and advanced digital skills; supporting digital-related R&D and the deployment of advanced technologies.
Social and territorial cohesion
Improving social and territorial infrastructure and services, including social protection and welfare systems, the inclusion of disadvantaged groups; supporting employment and skills development; creating high-quality, stable jobs.
Health and economic, social and institutional resilience
Improving the resilience, accessibility and quality of health and long-term care, including measures to advance their digitalisation; increasing the effectiveness of public administration systems.
The map exclusively serves information purposes and is not an exhaustive database of projects supported by the Recovery and Resilience Facility. It does not reflect the distribution of the projects funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility across the European Union, nor across different geographical areas or sectors within EU Member States. The RRF funding amounts shown for measures are based on the initial cost estimates included in the recovery and resilience plans.
Furthermore, the projects showcased are without prejudice to any future assessment by the Commission in the context of verifying the satisfactory fulfilment of milestones and targets under Regulation (EU) 2021/241 establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
Country snapshot
![Country snapshots](/https/commission.europa.eu/sites/default/files/styles/oe_theme_ratio_3_2_medium/public/2024-02/Country_snapshots_AdobeStock_194372112.jpeg?h=f5c88bb3&itok=NKle3Pif)
The country snapshot illustrates some of the most iconic and impactful projects included in the Dutch Recovery and Resilience Plan that will bring positive change for EU citizens, businesses and the EU at large.
The reforms and investments in the Dutch plan, are helping the Netherlands become more sustainable, resilient and better prepared for the challenges and opportunities offered by the green and digital transitions. Following Council approval of the Dutch plan on 4 October 2022, the Netherland’s recovery and resilience plan was updated on 24 October 2023 also to introduce a REPowerEU chapter.
*The plan is entirely financed by RRF grants
Key figures for the plan:
- 28 investment streams and 22 reforms
- 55% of the plan will support climate objectives
- 26% of the plan will foster the digital transition.
The transformative impact of the Netherlands’ plan is the result of a strong combination of reforms and investments which address the specific challenges. The reforms address bottlenecks to lasting and sustainable growth, while investments are targeted to accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable, low-carbon and climate-resilient economy, to maximise the benefits of the digital transformation and to strengthen economic and social resilience and the cohesion of the Single Market.
All measures have to be implemented within a tight time frame, as the Regulation establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility requires all milestones and targets within the national plans to be completed by August 2026.
REPowerEU measures in the Netherland’s plan
The Netherland’s plan now includes one reform and one investment to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, in line with one of the REPowerEU Plan's objectives. To finance this increased ambition, the Netherlands has asked for a share of its Brexit Adjustment Reserve to be transferred to the plan, amounting to €280 million. These funds would be added to the Netherland's REPowerEU grant of €455 million.
Key measures for REPowerEU
The REPowerEU measures include a reform of the electricity grid management system and a €735 million investment in sustainable energy and energy savings.
The reform will reduce congestion on the Dutch electricity grid and facilitate the decarbonisation of energy production.
The investment will notably improve connections to the heat grid, support insulation and finance the installation of heat pumps and solar water heaters.
Together, these measures are expected to increase energy savings and renewables in The Netherlands.
ISDE subsidises several interventions to improve energy efficiency in the built environment. The scheme is open to households, landlords and small businesses. The eligible interventions to be subsidised under the measure are insulation interventions, heat pumps, solar water heaters, connection to the heat grid as well as electric cooking installations. These interventions are expected to decrease energy demand and contribute to the electrification of heat generation, thereby supporting the decarbonisation of the Dutch energy generation and the uptake of renewable energy. The investment is expected to have a lasting impact due to the longevity of the subsidised installations and their long-term impact on energy demand.
Green transition
The major challenge for the Netherlands in terms of meeting climate targets relates to the presence of relatively large energy-intensive industry and transport sectors. In addition to electrification, these sectors will need to rely on other energy carriers such as renewable hydrogen to become climate neutral.
The measures in the plan are expected to contribute to achieving the 2050 climate neutrality objective, and the 2030 energy and climate targets, taking the Netherlands’ national energy and climate plan into account. They should also contribute to meeting environmental targets for waste, water, pollution control, biodiversity protection and restoration, marine and water resources, and support the transition to sustainable food systems as well as to a circular economy as appropriate.
Key measures for the green transition
- The Netherlands’ plan puts a strong focus on the green transition, as €3 billion will be dedicated to green investments.
- Dedicated measures are expected to boost the development of renewables through investments in support for offshore wind energy (€694 million) and in R&D in green hydrogen (€69 million). These will be complemented by crucial reforms in permitting and energy taxation.
- €989 million will be allocated to reduce nitrogen emissions or address their negative effects on nature through a subsidy scheme for the cessation of intensive pig farming (€275 million) and a comprehensive Nature Restoration scheme (€714 million).
- On sustainable mobility:
- €29 million will be invested in promoting the development of ultra-efficient aircrafts using hydrogen as an energy carrier; and
- €56 million in strengthening support for fully electric, zero-emission inland waterway transport.
- The adoption of specific reforms will facilitate the connection of renewable energy to the energy grid, the sale of self-generated electricity and investments in the charging infrastructure for electric cars to support the transition towards more energy sources.
- Energy efficiency measures will account for €1.6 billion via:
- the subsidy scheme for sustainability of public sector real estate (€225 million), which promotes renovations and focusses on improving the energy efficiency of public sector buildings, and
- the investment subsidy for sustainable energy and energy savings (ISDE) (€1.4 billion), which awards grants for investments in small-scale heat pumps, solar boilers, insulation and heat connections to improve energy efficiency.
- Several measures in the plan also contribute to the REPowerEU objectives to rapidly reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels and fast-forward the green transition. These include for example investments in sustainable energy and energy savings and a reform to facilitate investments in the electricity grid.
The modified plan, including the REPowerEU chapter, has further strengthened the focus on the plan on the green transition, devoting 55% of the available funds to measures that support climate objectives (up from 48% in the original plan).
![Inland waterway energy transition Netherlands](https://commission.europa.eu/sites/default/files/styles/oe_theme_ratio_3_2_medium/public/2023-03/Netherlands4.jpg?itok=AWnY_bjT)
This investment has the purpose of deploying fully electric, zero-emission inland waterway transport.
- Project locations
- Netherlands
Digital transition
The Netherlands is one of the top performers in the digital domain in the European Union and the Dutch population has generally high levels of basic and advanced digital skills. However, the country also faces a persistent shortage of digitally skilled professionals, including in artificial intelligence, data and cybersecurity. The proportion of female ICT specialists has been increasing slowly over recent years but is still slightly below the EU average. Addressing these challenges through suitable investments in digital skills education and in digital skills development more generally can contribute to maintaining the Netherlands' position as a digital leader.
Key measures for the digital transition
- The Netherlands’ recovery and resilience plan supports the digital transition with investments promoting advanced technologies, such as quantum technology (€263 million) and artificial intelligence (€60 million).
- Digitalisation of education is supported by a €209 million investment in the information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and sectoral knowledge infrastructure of the education system.
- Sustainable mobility is supported with €149 million in promoting smart mobility solutions, the rollout of digital infrastructure in the traffic management system of trains and the development of digital road side stations.
- The plan also envisages support for the digitalisation of the criminal justice chain (€75 million) and upgrades to the IT systems of the Ministry of Defence (€94 million).
- Furthermore, the plan will contribute to developing digital skills at different levels of the education system and digital inclusion in both education (€329 million) and health through e-health applications (€22 million) in the Netherlands.
![Quantum Delta NL](https://commission.europa.eu/sites/default/files/styles/oe_theme_ratio_3_2_medium/public/2023-03/Netherlands5.png?itok=_SCRox-f)
Quantum Delta NL creates a fully functional national ecosystem for excellence in quantum innovation, for highly talented professionals to bring quantum computers, quantum networks and quantum sensors to the market.
- Project locations
- Netherlands
Economic and social resilience
Key macro-economic challenges for the Netherlands’ economy include addressing challenges emanating from debt bias and distortions in the housing market and from institutional differences on the labour market between employed and self-employed. Efforts are needed to tackle tax avoidance and address money laundering related challenges, to promote institutional resilience by accelerating the digitalisation of the Dutch government and to improve the Dutch healthcare system, including the risk of an acute shortage of human resources in the care sector.
Key measures in reinforcing economic and social resilience
- The recovery and resilience plan supports with €538 million the availability of affordable housing through the acceleration of the provision of accommodation in locations with a good and climate-resilient living environment, thereby increasing the opportunity for lower- and middle-income groups to find appropriate housing.
- The plan improves social protection for the self-employed in a reform introducing a mandatory disability insurance for the self-employed, which will contribute to level the playing field between employees and self-employed.
- With a budget of €95 million, the plan sustains employment through support for upskilling and targeted advice to prevent unemployment or help people get back to work.
- With €49 million, the resilience of the health care system is supported through the creation of a national health reserve of care professionals to be deployed in case of a future health crisis and through vocational education and ‘on the job training’ of health staff.
![Intesive Care NL](https://commission.europa.eu/sites/default/files/styles/oe_theme_ratio_3_2_medium/public/2023-03/intensive-care-nl.jpg?itok=462kwoO9)
With EUR 50,66 million financing from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the Netherlands wants to strengthen the public health sector and pandemic preparedness of the Dutch healthcare system.
- Project locations
- Netherlands
EUROPEAN SEMESTER
The Netherlands’ plan is consistent with the challenges and priorities identified in the European Semester, the annual cycle of coordination and monitoring of each EU country’s economic policies. For a detailed explanation of the European Semester see the following link: The European Semester explained | European Commission (europa.eu)
Original Recovery and Resilience Plan (2022)
Documents
Commission Staff Working Document: Analysis of the recovery and resilience plan of the Netherlands
Press Material
Press release: The Commission endorses Netherlands’ Plan
Factsheet: Netherlands’ recovery and resilience plan
Questions and answers: European Commission endorses Netherlands' plan
Further information
Presentation to the Council of the Netherlands’ recovery and resilience plan
Summary of the assessment of the Netherlands’ recovery and resilience plan
Updated Recovery and Resilience Plan
Documents
Press material
First Payment Request
Documents
Press Material