State Secretary Willemijn Aerdts (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, EZK) announced on Monday that the NDS Council, the advisory body for the Netherlands’ Digitalisation Strategy (NDS), will cease its activities with immediate effect.
Broader perspectives
With the appointment of State Secretary Willemijn Aerdts, responsibility for the digital economy, government, and society now rests with a single ministerial representative. As this portfolio expands, the way input and advice are organised must also evolve. Consequently, the NDS Council will be abolished. A broader portfolio requires drawing on a wider network of advisors. This means it should include representatives from government, academia, the business community, civil society organisations, research institutions, and society at large.
Letter to Parliament: summary
In a letter to Parliament (in Dutch), Aerdts outlined her plans to streamline the advisory process for digitalisation, structured around 5 key themes. Below is a concise English summary of the next steps and commitments as detailed in the letter:
1. Digital Resilience and Autonomy
- An exploration of a cyber annual report (based on the International Digital Reporting Standard) is underway, with results expected by summer 2026.
2. Public Service Orientation
- Funding for Digital Government Information Points (IDOs) has been restored in the 2026 Spring Budget.
- Frisian-language availability for DigiD is technically feasible but delayed due to competing priorities.
- Citizen Service Number (BSN) implementation in Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba: the Digital Public Services and Digitalisation Connection Plan (2026) will further address support for those less digitally literate.
- Evaluation of the Digital Government Act (Wdo): key findings on pending improvements include the Access System (Stelsel Toegang), which will enable new, reliable login methods, but is currently still under development. In addition, legal representation tools (for digital transactions on behalf of others) are not yet available.
- An implementation law is being drafted to incorporate the revised eIDAS regulation, expected to enter into force by 2028.
3. Digital Society
- Online intolerance is being addressed through transparency requirements for platforms (under the Digital Services Act), national dialogues, and support for trusted flaggers.
- A multi-year campaign on smartphone use for parents has launched, with further phases planned for 2026.
- The feasibility of an age-verification app is being assessed, with results expected in spring 2026.
4. Data, AI, and Algorithms
- GPT-NL, a Dutch-language model, is being piloted across government services, with plans for broader adoption once quality standards are met.
5. General Digitalisation
- The NDS Council will be discontinued, but collaboration with stakeholders remains a priority.
- The coordinating role for digital government is legally supported and operationally effective.
Further details will be shared with Parliament before the summer.
Commitment to the NDS remains
In the letter, the State Secretary also expressed her appreciation for the dedication, knowledge, and expertise of the NDS Council members. She emphasised that her decision does not alter her commitment to the NDS or the collaborative efforts within the Executive Consultation on Digitalisation.
