States of Groningen do not want to know anything about private meetings about Nij Begun, which ‘does not fit in with restoring confidence’

The Groningen States gave this assignment to their representatives in the newly formed Regional Council for Nij Begun on Wednesday. In this consultation, the States and the thirteen municipal councils in and around the earthquake area discuss how to spend the 22 billion euros that will be invested in the region over the next thirty years.

‘Closed doors are not appropriate for restoring trust’

Nij Begun is a repayment of the debt of honor that The Hague owes to the residents of the area after sixty years of gas extraction. The billion-dollar investment must restore the damaged confidence in the government among the people of Groningen and North Drenthe.

A majority of the States believe that meetings should not be held behind closed doors. A motion by the SP calling for only public meetings with the Regional Council received broad support on Wednesday. Only the BBB and Groninger Belang voted against.

This immediately puts the two representatives from the States in the Regional Council in a difficult position. The consultation is actually still ‘in formation’, but is now officially being converted into a joint arrangement. The regulations assume that the meetings are closed and almost all municipal councils have already agreed to this.

To ensure public access, Regioberaad must revise rules in advance

The States also gave the green light on Wednesday for a formal status for the Regional Council. But due to Wednesday’s motion, the two Members of Parliament who are delegated to the consultation, BBB faction leader Gouke Moes and GroenLinks States member Stephanie Bennett, must return to their discussion partners to ask whether they want to meet publicly from now on and whether they want to adjust the regulations. before the deliberations officially start.

Moes and Bennett promised to include the States motion with the other representatives in the Regional Council. But they themselves do not see the need that way. The consultation does not make any formal decisions about the use of the Nij Begun billions. The councils and States still have the final say on this.

‘Private meetings actually help to talk freely’

The Regional Council is primarily intended to better enable the Groningen and Drenthe representatives to form a political opinion about the lines that mayors, aldermen and deputies set for Nij Begun at the so-called administrative table.

According to Moes, it can actually be useful not to meet in public, so that members can exchange ideas a little more freely with, for example, State Secretary Hans Vijlbrief or other guests. If conclusions emerge from the consultation, this will be fed back to the councils and Parliament via public minutes.