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House of Representatives convinced of the importance of Delta Decisions

News item | 12-11-2014 | 00:00

In a meeting with the House of Representatives, Delta Commissioner Wim Kuijken commented on the Delta Programme 2015, at the invitation of the Standing Parliamentary Committee on Infrastructure and the Environment. The pleasant and substantive meeting served as a preparation to the Legislative Consultations with Minister Schultz van Haegen on Monday 17 November, whicHouse of Representatives convinced of the importance of Delta Decisionsh will focus on, among other things, the Delta Programme 2015.

During the meeting, led by chair Van Dekken, the six MPs present showed their involvement in the Delta Programme and expressed their awareness of the fact that, following several years of preparation, they were currently on the brink of significant decision-making regarding the Delta Decisions and their area-oriented elaboration in the preferred strategies.

The attending representatives of the political parties VVD, PvdA, SP, CDA and PVV raised various topical issues relating to the Delta Programme, such as:

  • the relationship between the proposed Delta Decisions and preferred strategies, and the budget available for their implementation;
  • the goals and possibilities of the Delta Fund;
  • the importance of knowledge and knowledge development in the implementation and elaboration of the Delta Decisions;
  • the Freshwater Delta Plan and the stress test of the freshwater system in 2015;
  • the alternative plans submitted (such as the idea concerning the closure of the Nieuwe Waterweg shipping route);
  • the safety issues in Groningen and Limburg;
  • the Rhine discharge near Lobith and the international models used;
  • increasing the flexibility of the IJsselmeer water level;
  • water quality and an integrated approach; and
  • in conclusion, a look ahead to the anchoring of the Delta Decisions in legislation and regulations, spatial visions and other plans; the development of a new set of test and design instruments and the embedding of the new standards in the Flood Protection Programme.