Rijksoverheid
Reducing the regulatory burden

Contact

Regulatory Reform Group

The Regulatory Reform Group is a joint directorate of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Finance. Its objective is to reduce the regulatory burden on entrepreneurs during the present Cabinet's term of office. Regulatory burdens include the costs, efforts and annoyances to businesses caused by laws and regulations facing entrepreneurs going about their day-to-day business. For instance: information obligations to the Government (tax return, annual account), compliance costs (age indication at the entrance of catering establishments), supervisory burdens (cooperating with inspections) and services (services by government authorities).

Visiting address:
Korte Voorhout 7
2511 CW Den Haag

Postal address:
Postbus 91517
2509 EC Den Haag
Telephone: +31(0)70 342 7500
Fax: +31(0)70 342 7502

The following section shows per category who in the Regulatory Reform Group can be contacted for more information:

Involving the business sector

A continuous dialogue between Government and the business sector is needed to successfully realise a noticeable reduction in the regulatory burden.

"From the outside inwards"
The Regulatory Reform Group focuses on resolving problems raised by entrepreneurs themselves. The entrepreneur's perception of their problem is the basic premise. The approach is problem-based. Signals are apprehended, shared with the responsible ministries and acted upon.

Contact person: Patrick Ooms +31(0)70 342 4014, p.e.b.m.ooms@rr.nl 

Digital suggestion box
Entrepreneurs can make a report in relation to the different aspects of the regulatory burden to the digital suggestion box at: http://www.antwoordvoorbedrijven.nl/

The Business Regulatory Burden Commission (Wientjes Commission)
This commission was set up by the present Cabinet to bring creative ideas and problem-solving approaches from the business sector to reduce the regulatory burden to the attention of government authorities. The commission is mainly comprised of representatives from the business sector. Its objective is to allow the business sector to make suggestions and put forward ideas directly to the coordinating Ministers and to form a critical safeguard for the visibility of suggestions for improvement.

Contact person: Henk Vreeswijk +31(0)70 342 4015, h.vreeswijk@rr.nl 

Fundamental explorations
In cooperation with all parties concerned (businesses, government authorities, executive organisations, local governments, et cetera), bottlenecks and corresponding burdens are established and solutions are suggested that all parties support. Up to now, fundamental explorations have been made of the construction and transport industries. The ensuing recommendations are translated into concrete actions.

Contact person for the construction industry: Rolf Moester +31(0)70 342 4018, r.g.moester@rr.nl 
Contact person for the transport industry: Bert Bekenkamp +31(0)70 342 4042, l.bekenkamp@rr.nl 

Adoption of businesses
Both the Minister and the State Secretary of Economic Affairs "adopt" entrepreneurs from different sectors to gain insight into the effects of the various laws and regulations including accompanying inspections of those entrepreneurs.

Contact person: Katinka Petronia, +31(0)70 342 4029, t.k.c.petronia@rr.nl 

Central Government Involvement

All departments join forces in reducing the regulatory burden. The Regulatory Reform Group coordinates this government-wide approach.

Contact person for Consultation Coordinators Regulatory Burden for Businesses (COR): Katinka Petronia: +31(0)70 342 4029, t.k.c.petronia@rr.nl 
Contact person for Secretary Generals' Consultation on Regulatory Burden (SGOR): Jeroen Nijland +31(0)70 342 7075 

Local Government Involvement

Not only the central government but also local governments are actively involved in reducing the regulatory burden and improving their services. The Regulatory Reform Group mainly focuses on addressing, supporting and stimulating local governments to improve their services to businesses and to reduce regulatory burdens. Local governments can improve their services by implementing the Normenkader Dienstverlening Bedrijven [Standards Framework for Services to Businesses]. Local governments can reduce the regulatory burden on businesses, for instance, by adopting the VNG model bye-laws. For this purpose, the Regulatory Reform Group works in close collaboration with the Vereniging Nederlandse Gemeenten (VNG) [Association of Netherlands Municipalities] and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations on the programme Minder Regels, Meer Service ["fewer regulations,
more service"]. 7 regional ambassadors are engaged in encouraging mayors or aldermen in their own region to take up the good example of other local governments that are actively engaged in reducing regulatory burdens.

General contact person: Paul Tops +31(0)70 342 4010, r.p.tops@rr.nl 
Contact person for Regional Ambassadors: Rolf Moester +31(0)70 342 4018, r.g.moester@rr.nl 
Contact person for Normenkader Dienstverlening [Standards Framework for Services to Businesses]: Anita Nout +31(0)70 342 4021, a.s.nout@rr.nl

Improving services

Better services will save entrepreneurs time, costs and annoyance. Projects such as Common Commencement Dates (VVM), introducing a special helpdesk for businesses, faster licence application processing, increased application of the 'Lex Silencio positivo' principle and the combination of licences will also contribute to an improvement of services.

General contact person: Anita Nout  +31(0)70 342 4021, a.s.nout@rr.nl 
Contact person for Normenkader [System of Standards Framework]: Anita Nout  +31(0)70 342 4021, a.s.nout@rr.nl 
Contact person for 'lex silencio': Petie Slangen  +31(0)70 342 4008, p.m.slangen@rr.nl 
Contact person for 'vaste verandermomenten' (VVM)  [Common Commencement Dates]: Dimitri Verhoeven +31(0)70 342 8514, d.f.verhoeven@rr.nl 

International approach and EU

The activities of the Regulatory Reform Group seek to prevent and reduce unnecessary EU regulatory burdens. In addition, the Regulatory Reform Group exchanges experiences and best practices with other countries and international institutions.

Contact person: Natalia Cerrato +31(0)70 342 8462, n.cerrato@rr.nl 

Measurement and measurement methods (Standard Cost Model, studies)

The Standard Cost Model has been developed by the Netherlands to measure the costs that entrepreneurs have to bear to fulfil their information obligations to the Government. In 2003 and 2007, zero measurements of administrative burdens were carried out, measuring not only the costs but also the perception of the administrative burden. The outcome of these studies is used nationwide to formulate proposals for reduction.

Contact person: Herman Schippers +31(0)70 342 7588, h.schippers@rr.nl 

Macro business sentiment monitor

In order to find out what the effects of the measures are, some 20 to 30 businesses will be selected from different sectors each year. By monitoring these businesses for one year and analysing the effects of regulatory modifications, insight is gained into how individual entrepreneurs perceive all efforts aimed at reducing regulatory burdens. This concerns not only quantitative but also more subjective aspects thereof. The survey findings will be published annually.

Contact person: Brian Huijts +31(0)70 3424017, b.b.w.huijts@rr.nl 
Micro business sentiment monitor: Rogier de Boer +31(0)70 342 7360, r.boer@rr.nl 

Compliance costs

To reduce the regulatory burden on business to a substantial degree, it is vital to reduce the costs incurred in satisfying substantive obligations (compliance costs). For this purpose, an overview will be presented of compliance costs involved in current laws and regulations seen as annoying by the business community.

Contact person: Bert Bekenkamp +31(0)70 342 4042, l.bekenkamp@rr.nl 

Supervisory burdens

Supervisory burdens are mapped out with the help of the expertise of supervised businesses and supervisory bodies. For each domain, inspectorates and businesses will make proposals to reduce the regulatory burden based on the measurement results.

Contact person: Joost Dieleman +31(0)70 342 4009, j.w.dieleman@rr.nl 

Subsidies

To noticeably reduce the regulatory burden on the business sector, it is important that subsidy regulations cause as little burden as possible. Hence, it is the Cabinet's objective that all existing state subsidy regulations for businesses be low-burden by 2010. The State subsidy framework shall be used as standard for this purpose.

Contact person: Kees van der Steen +31(0)70 342 7468, c.d.steen@rr.nl

Business Impact Assessment

New regulatory burdens are also caused by new or changing regulations. The business impacts of proposed regulations are to be clearly described in the explanatory memorandum concerned, as set out in the Instructions for drafting legislation. The Business Impact Assessment has been developed for Ministries to measure the impacts of their regulations.

Contact person: Albert Foekema +31(0)70 342 4019, a.h.foekema@rr.nl 

ICT

The Regulatory Reform Group emphasizes stimulating ICT projects that significantly contribute to a noticeable reduction of the regulatory burden, and facilitates an approach in which ICT is used to reduce these burdens.

Contact person: Amanda Thakoerdin +31 70 342 7241, a.p.thakoerdin@rr.nl 

Management

Jeroen Nijland, Director +31(0)70 342 7075 
Herman Grol +31(0)70 342 4011
Wim Jansen +31(0)70 342 7446

Account managers

Account managers are responsible for managing working relationships with a number of ministeries with associated policy fields.
Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations: Rolf Moester +31(0)70 342 4018, r.g.moester@rr.nl 
Ministry of Economic Affairs: Petie Slangen +31 70 3424008 en p.m.slangen@rr.nl 
Ministry of Finance: Hans Boerkamp +31(0)70 342 7734, j.g.boerkamp@rr.nl 
Ministry of Justice: Petra van Baak +31 70 342 4026, p.m.baak@rr.nl 
Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality: Bert Bekenkamp +31(0)70 342 4016, l.bekenkamp@rr.nl 
Ministry of Education, Culture and Science: Louk Oyen +31 70 342 7502, l.j.m.oyen@rr.nl 
Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment: Kees van der Steen +31(0)70 342 7468, c.d.steen@rr.nl 
Ministry of VROM (Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment) and WWI: Joost Dieleman +31(0)70  342 4009, j.w.dieleman@rr.nl 
Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management: Toni Verrijt +31(0)70 342 4020, a.m.verrijt@rr.nl 
Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and Ministry of Youth & Families: Daphne van der Zwet +31(0)70 342 7573, d.n.zwet@rr.nl 

Planning and Control

Contact person: Petra van Baak +31 70 342 4026, p.m.baak@rr.nl 

Policy Advising

Contact person: Peter Hootsen +31(0)70 342 4007, g.p.hootsen@rr.nl 

Communication

Contact person: Daphne van der Zwet +31(0)70 342 7573, d.n.zwet@rr.nl