In a letter to the House of Representatives, Minister De Jonge of the Interior reports how a solid foundation is being built for each region. Attention is given to policy and methods of investment. In addition, a dialogue will be started in ten regions. Each region is unique and has its own opportunities and challenges. In recent years, there has been insufficient attention to this, as stated in the report Every region counts! last year. The government has invested too long in areas that are already strong, leading to undesirable differences between regions and the feeling that the government is not there for everyone, as noted by the authors of the report, the Council for the Living Environment and Infrastructure, the Council for Public Administration, and the Council for Health and Society.

In response to that report, the cabinet acknowledged these findings and announced several actions focusing on regional differences. These actions are based on three action lines: looking at investment policy, developing long-term regional agendas, and strengthening the relationship between the government and regions. In this letter, the minister reports on the progress of these actions.

At the request of the Ministry of the Interior, a study has been conducted on all regions of the Netherlands to identify which regions are facing a combination of backlogs, little broad prosperity, combined with, for example, a location at the edge of the country with greater distance to an economic core area and demographic developments in the area that put pressure on the availability of services.

Collaboration between the government and regions is essential to improve the quality of life, living, and working for residents and entrepreneurs. Specifically, in ten regions at the edges of the Netherlands, discussions are being held about regional challenges and how to solve them sustainably. These are regions where there is a combination of challenges.

In the discussions, regions can bring forward what is happening with them and what they need. It can also be examined where the collaboration between the government and the region needs to be strengthened. These discussions will start in the five regions identified in the report Every region counts!. Following further analyses and additional research by PON & Telos, five additional regions will now be included.

These are the regions where the regional dialogues will take place:

• North and East Groningen
• South and East Drenthe
• South Limburg
• Central Limburg
• North Limburg
• Zeelandic Flanders
• North Hollands Kop
• The Achterhoek
• Southeast and North Friesland
• Twente