The national government has designated Zeeland as the preferred location for the construction of two new nuclear power plants. Therefore, the Province of Zeeland, the national government, and the involved municipalities Borsele, Terneuzen, and Vlissingen are working together on a package of agreements and measures to limit the consequences of the possible construction as much as possible and simultaneously seize the opportunities for the region. Raymond Knops guides this process as an independent area connector and helps ensure smooth cooperation between all parties. Recently, he sent his third advisory letter to Minister Hermans, the executive board of Gedeputeerde Staten of Zeeland and the executive boards of the municipalities Vlissingen, Terneuzen, and Borsele.
In this letter, Knops states that over the past six months he has worked with the core team on further elaboration of the National-Regional package, including site visits, presentations, and advice from former Chief Government Architect Floris Alkemade. He informed involved administrators, councils, and states, and became acquainted with the policy participation in formation Nucleaire Energie Organisatie Nederland B.V. (NEO NL), which will play an important role in further development and implementation of the package. He also reflects on the various participation processes and how the conditions set by the Province of Zeeland and the municipalities Vlissingen, Terneuzen, and Borsele are incorporated in the follow-up process.
Continuing to move forward together
The construction of the nuclear power plants, the drafting and implementation of the National-Regional package requires perseverance from all involved. Since no definitive location has been chosen yet, the pace will have to be adjusted in some areas. For parties involved longer, this requires patience, while for recently joined parties it requires quicker action.
Therefore, Knops advises in his letter to the involved authorities to move forward together at the same pace, be open to similar and different regional ambitions, and keep each other timely informed. He also recommends jointly clarifying when which information and studies will be available so that communication and follow-up actions align well. Additionally, he emphasizes the importance of timely involvement of NEO NL, so that this organization can take note of concerns and opportunities in the area and incorporate these in preparatory work.