Governance in the mid-section of Dutch administrion:

struggle for survival of the Metropolitan region

Ruud van der Ploeg

Senior advisor transport infrastructure

Stadsregio Amsterdam

EMTA-meeting Prague 24-25 May 2012

Content

• How powers are divided now• Challenge to create adequate

governance• Process steps • Transition period• Current situation…..

EMTA Prague 24-25 May 2012

Netherlands divided in

19 PTA’s

controlling

70 concessions

7 different operators

EMTA Prague 24-25 May 2012

• Invoegen kaartje randstad en daarbinnen de stadsregio (is dat er?)

City Region of Amsterdam within the broader “Randstad”-area

EMTA Prague 24-25 May 2012

Organisation Stadsregio Amsterdam

Municipal Councils

Regional Assembly

Board of Executives

Local Transport Aldermen

Advisory Commissions

Fields of coordination

• LivingLiving

• WorkingWorking

• MobilityMobility

• Youth careYouth care

EMTA Prague 24-25 May 2012

Government coalition program, Administration (2010)

-Administrations concentrate themselves on core tasks (province: land use planning, economy, environment);

-Execution of government tasks as close to the civilians as possible;

-Not more than two government institutions involved with one task or subject;

- Proposal for scaling provincial government in Randstad-area;

-Proposal to transfer compentencies tot a new Infrastructure Authority;

-Proposal to abolish the level of Wgr+ regions (PLUS-regios) en district councils (within cities);

Last decree of conservative Dutch Administration

• Take the PLUS-regions out of the equasion

• Minister of the Interior, March 1: Make a new Transport Region expanded with City of Almere (fastest growing new conurbation)

Central message: think of a construct for governance for 17 municipalities in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region.

EMTA Prague 24-25 May 2012

City region + Almere

AlmereAmsterda

m

Zaanstreek

Waterland

AmstellandMeerlande

n

Similar challengeConurbations all over Europe face a challenge: how to form a construct for regional governance,that is:- cooperative - legally binding- with sufficient democratic legitimacy - balancing the interests of all local stakeholders- within its own boundaries.

Search for an adequate compromise for governance of the participating municipalities and balance the interests of the regional governmentrepresented by the provinces (Flevoland/Noord-Holland)

EMTA Prague 24-25 May 2012

Which way could it work in the Netherlands? 16 municipalities + 1 city (Almere)

already working firmly together,awarded by government with financial means and legal powers (forming the ‘Transport Region’)

Anti-lobby of the provinces:Take municipal powers out of the hands of

the municipalities and transfer/delegate these to the 2 provinces and 2 cities (Almere and Amsterdam)

EMTA Prague 24-25 May 2012

Integration with government orsearch new form of

governance1. Succesful for 4 city regions outside

Randstad Area: transfer of powers for i.e. public transport to provincial governments

2. For the Randstad cities (The Hague, Rotterdam, Amsterdam): formation of Metropolitan Regions with stronger cities.

Government for 4 of the 7 regions, versusGovernance by decision of central

administration in Metropolitan Regions (Amsterdam – Rotterdam/The Hague)

EMTA Prague 24-25 May 2012

But….a downside

….in which municipalities + provinces are forced to create a transport region.

Problem: the central administration failed to work out the details.

EMTA Prague 24-25 May 2012

Since April 23rd 2012• Conservative government resigned

suspension of the legal procedure for transition

• Central question: will parliament judge the removal of PLUS-regions as controversial?

• IF YES: new elections and formation of a next coalition will have to shed light on medium government level

• IF NO : the act of law to strike PLUS regions is likely to be further pursued.

To be continued….EMTA Prague 24-25 May 2012

Thank you!

Ruud van der Ploegr.vanderploeg@stadsregioamsterdam.

nl+31 20 5273 723