Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (Netherlands)
Encyclopedia
The Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment ( or VROM) was a Dutch
ministry
. It was responsible for policies on public housing
, spatial planning
, the environment
and the housing of national government agencies. It was merged with the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management into the new Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment
on 14 October 2010.
In the 1965 the ministry was renamed Public Housing and Spatial Planning (Dutch: Volkshuisvesting en Ruimtelijke Ordening). Spatial planning
and land management
became more important. The high level of population growth
in the densely populated Netherlands made centralized coordination of land use
necessary. The ministry began to publish coordinate the land use policies of provinces
and municipalities
. Urban renewal
also became an important issue for the ministry.
In 1982 the ministry was renamed Public Housing and Spatial Planning and the Environment. The environment has previously been a part of the portfolio of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. With rising environmental consciousness the environment became the most important issue for the ministry. The ministry also bears responsibility for international environmental policy. Since 2006 the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
is an agency of this ministry.
Second Lubbers cabinet
Third Lubbers cabinet
First Kok cabinet
Second Kok cabinet
First Balkenende cabinet
Second Balkenende Cabinet
Third Balkenende Cabinet
Fourth Balkenende cabinet
Rutte cabinet
Politics of the Netherlands
The politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy and a decentralised unitary state. The Netherlands is described as a consociational state...
ministry
Ministry (government department)
A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...
. It was responsible for policies on public housing
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
, spatial planning
Spatial planning
Spatial planning refers to the methods used by the public sector to influence the distribution of people and activities in spaces of various scales. Discrete professional disciplines which involve spatial planning include land use planning, urban planning, regional planning, transport planning and...
, the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
and the housing of national government agencies. It was merged with the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management into the new Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment
Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment (Netherlands)
The Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment is a Dutch ministry created in 2010 by the Rutte Cabinet, and is a merger of the former Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management and Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment. The minister is Melanie Schultz van...
on 14 October 2010.
History
The Ministry of VROM was established as the ministry of Reconstruction and Public Housing (Dutch: Wederopbouw en Volkshuisvesting) in 1947, to coordinate the reconstruction of the Netherlands after the Second World War. Its main goal in this period was to build enough housing. In 1958 the ministry was renamed Public Housing and Construction Industry (Dutch: Volkshuisvesting en Bouwnijverheid).In the 1965 the ministry was renamed Public Housing and Spatial Planning (Dutch: Volkshuisvesting en Ruimtelijke Ordening). Spatial planning
Spatial planning
Spatial planning refers to the methods used by the public sector to influence the distribution of people and activities in spaces of various scales. Discrete professional disciplines which involve spatial planning include land use planning, urban planning, regional planning, transport planning and...
and land management
Land management
Land management is the process of managing the use and development of land resources. Land resources are used for a variety of purposes which may include organic agriculture, reforestation, water resource management and eco-tourism projects.-See also:*Sustainable land management*Acreage...
became more important. The high level of population growth
Population growth
Population growth is the change in a population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals of any species in a population using "per unit time" for measurement....
in the densely populated Netherlands made centralized coordination of land use
Land use
Land use is the human use of land. Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as fields, pastures, and settlements. It has also been defined as "the arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake in a certain land cover...
necessary. The ministry began to publish coordinate the land use policies of provinces
Provinces of the Netherlands
A Dutch province represents the administrative layer in between the national government and the local municipalities, having the responsibility for matters of subnational or regional importance. The government of each province consists of three major parts: the Provinciale Staten which is the...
and municipalities
Municipalities of the Netherlands
|All provinces of the Netherlands are divided into municipalities , together 418 , excl. the 3 "special municipalities" of the Caribbean Netherlands.Among the municipalities we can distinguish:...
. Urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
also became an important issue for the ministry.
In 1982 the ministry was renamed Public Housing and Spatial Planning and the Environment. The environment has previously been a part of the portfolio of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. With rising environmental consciousness the environment became the most important issue for the ministry. The ministry also bears responsibility for international environmental policy. Since 2006 the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency is a Dutch research institute that advises the Dutch government on environmental policy and regional planning issues. The research fields include sustainable development, energy and climate change, biodiversity, transport, land use, and air quality...
is an agency of this ministry.
Ministers
First Lubbers cabinetNetherlands cabinet Lubbers-1
The first Lubbers cabinet was formed by the right-wing political parties CDA and VVD. The aim of the cabinet was cutting government spending and privatizations. There was much internal resistance of the left-wing, especially the largest mass demonstration in Dutch history, against the placement of...
- Pieter WinsemiusPieter WinsemiusDr. Pieter Winsemius is a Dutch politician for the VVD.On September 22, 2006, he became Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment in the Third Balkenende cabinet . His appointment followed the resignation of Sybilla Dekker...
, 1982-1986 (VVD)- State secretary: Gerrit Brokx (CDAChristian Democratic AppealThe Christian Democratic Appeal is a centre-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. It suffered severe losses in the 2010 elections and fell from the first to the fourth place...
)
- State secretary: Gerrit Brokx (CDA
Second Lubbers cabinet
Netherlands cabinet Lubbers-3
The third Lubbers cabinet existed from 1989 to 1994, and was formed by a coalition of the Christian-Democrats and the Labour Party . The cabinet was formed with a view to social reform. This was impossible because of the then bad shape of the Dutch economy, which made large reductions in...
- Ed NijpelsEd NijpelsEduardus Hermannus Theresia Maria Nijpels is a Dutch politician.-References:...
, 1986-1989 (VVD)- State secretary: Enneüs HeermaEnneüs HeermaEnneüs Heerma was a Dutch politician.-References:...
(CDA)
- State secretary: Enneüs Heerma
Third Lubbers cabinet
Netherlands cabinet Lubbers-3
The third Lubbers cabinet existed from 1989 to 1994, and was formed by a coalition of the Christian-Democrats and the Labour Party . The cabinet was formed with a view to social reform. This was impossible because of the then bad shape of the Dutch economy, which made large reductions in...
- Hans AldersHans AldersJohannes Gerardus Maria "Hans" Alders is a Dutch politician.-References:...
, 1989-1994 (PvdA- State secretary: Enneüs Heerma (CDA)
First Kok cabinet
- Margreeth de BoerMargreeth de BoerMargaretha de Boer is a Dutch politician.- References :...
, 1994-1998 (PvdA)- State secretary: Dick Tommel (D66)
Second Kok cabinet
- Jan PronkJan PronkJohannes "Jan" Pieter Pronk is a Dutch politician and diplomat. Currently, he is a Professor of Theory and Practice of International Development at the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague....
, 1998-2002 (PvdA)- State secretary: Johan RemkesJohan RemkesJohannes Wijnandus "Johan" Remkes is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He is the Queen's Commissioner of North Holland since July 1, 2010....
(VVD)
- State secretary: Johan Remkes
First Balkenende cabinet
First Balkenende cabinet
The first cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende was in office in the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 16 October of the same year. The term of 87 days was the shortest since the fifth cabinet of Hendrikus Colijn .Following the 15 May 2002...
- Henk KampHenk KampHenricus Gregorius Jozeph "Henk" Kamp is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He is the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment since October 14, 2010 in the Cabinet Rutte. He was the Commissioner of the Netherlands Antilles from January 1, 2009 until October, 10...
, 2002-2003 (VVD)- State secretary: Pieter van GeelPieter van GeelPetrus Leonardus Bastiaan Antonius van Geel is a Dutch politician for the CDA.He was State Secretary of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment from 2002 until 2007 and a member of the House of Representatives in 2002, 2003 and from 2006 till 2010.- External links : , Parlement & Politiek...
(CDA)
- State secretary: Pieter van Geel
Second Balkenende Cabinet
Second Balkenende cabinet
The second cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands formed on 27 May 2003. It consisted of three political parties: People's Party for Freedom and Democracy , Christian Democratic Appeal , and Democrats 66 , which is the smallest of the three.On 29 June 2006, D66 dropped its support for...
- Sybilla DekkerSybilla DekkerSybilla Dekker is a Dutch politician.-References:...
, 2003-2006 (VVD)- State secretary: Pieter van Geel (CDA)
Third Balkenende Cabinet
- Sybilla Dekker, 2006 (VVD), resigned
- Pieter Winsemius, 2006–2007
- State secretary: Pieter van Geel (CDA)
Fourth Balkenende cabinet
Fourth Balkenende cabinet
The fourth Balkenende cabinet or Balkenende IV is the previous Dutch coalition cabinet formed by the political parties Christian Democratic Appeal , Labour Party , and ChristianUnion . The cabinet succeeded the third Balkenende cabinet following the 2006 election, and was installed by Queen Beatrix...
- Jacqueline CramerJacqueline CramerJacqueline Marian Cramer was Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment in the Fourth Balkenende cabinet for the PvdA. Previously she was a professor of sustainable entrepreneurship at Utrecht University and professor of environmental management at Erasmus University...
, 2007-2010 (PvdA) - Tineke HuizingaTineke HuizingaJohanna Catharina Huizinga-Heringa is a former Dutch politician. She was a Member of Parliament for the ChristianUnion from 2002 to 2007. From 2007 till 2010 she was a Secretary of State and in 2010 Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning.Huizinga grew up in Amersfoort; both of her parents...
, 2010 (ChristenUnie) - Ella VogelaarElla VogelaarDrs. Catharina Pieternella Vogelaar was minister of Integration and Housing in the Fourth cabinet Balkenende for the PvdA from February 22, 2007 to November 13, 2008...
, 2007-2008 (PvdA); Minister without PortfolioMinister without PortfolioA minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
for Housing, Neighbourhoods and Integration (resigned) - Eberhard van der LaanEberhard van der LaanEberhard Edzard van der Laan is a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He has been the Mayor of Amsterdam since July 7, 2010. Before serving as Mayor he was Minister of Integration and Housing in the Cabinet Balkenende IV succeeding the sacked Ella Vogelaar...
, 2008-2010 (PvdA); Minister without PortfolioMinister without PortfolioA minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
for Housing, Neighbourhoods and Integration - Eimert van MiddelkoopEimert van MiddelkoopEimert van Middelkoop is a Dutch politician of the ChristianUnion party.From 2007 till 2010 he was Minister of Defence in the Cabinet Balkenende IV...
, 2010 (ChristenUnie); Minister without PortfolioMinister without PortfolioA minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
for Housing, Neighbourhoods and Integration
Rutte cabinet
- Melanie Schultz van HaegenMelanie Schultz van HaegenMelanie Henriëtte Schultz van Haegen-Maas Geesteranus is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . She was State Secretary for Transport, Public Works and Water Management. She is the Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment in the Rutte cabinet.-References:...
, 2010-now (VVD, as Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment)- Joop AtsmaJoop AtsmaJohannes Jan "Joop" Atsma is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal party . He is the State Secretary for Infrastructure and the Environment in the Cabinet Rutte serving since October 14, 2010...
, 2010-now (CDA, as state secretary of Infrastructure and the Environment)
- Joop Atsma