Appointment of new members of the Advisory College on the Legal Position of Political Office Holders

The Council of Ministers has approved the appointment of 3 new members of the Advisory College on the Legal Position of Political Office Holders (ARPA) on the proposal of Minister Uitermark of Interior and Kingdom Relations.

The 3 new members are Ms. A.T.B. Bijleveld-Schouten, Ms. L. Heres, and Mr. M.G.T. Pastors. The new members will be appointed as members of the advisory college starting from March 1, 2025, for a term of 4 years.

The full advisory college is thus composed as follows:

• Mr. A.H.G. (Alexander) Rinnooy Kan (also chairman);
• Mr. G.T.M. (Gerard) Groten;
• Ms. M.S. (Mijke) Houwerzijl;
• Mr. J.P. (Hans) Vollaard;
• Mr. J.P.H. (Johan) Zwemmer;
• Ms. A.T.B. (Ank) Bijleveld-Schouten;
• Ms. L. (Leonie) Heres;
• Mr. M.G.T. (Marco) Pastors.

The ARPA is an independent and permanently established advisory college that started in April 2022. The advisory college can advise the cabinet and parliament, both upon request and unsolicited, on the (financial) aspects of the employment conditions of political office holders.

A bill is pending in the House of Representatives that gives the ARPA an additional task of advising on subsequent functions of ministers.