Untitled - Provincie Limburg

Contents
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Contents
Foreword by Queen’s Commissioner p. 04
The administrative organisation
p. 06
What does the Province of Limburg do?
p. 11
Exploring the boundaries p. 16
Provincial finances p. 18
The Province’s public servants p. 21
Getting involved in the Province
p. 22
The Provincial Government Buildings on the Meuse
History
p. 26
Would you like more information? p. 37
p. 32
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Foreword by Queen’s Commissioner Leon Frissen
Limburg is a remarkable province. It is rich in nature, culture, history, and possesses an innovative business sector. The
province unites tradition with progress.
Of all the provinces in the Netherlands, Limburg is the most European in character. We share a longer border with Belgium and Germany than we do with the rest of the Netherlands. Everyday life here has always involved contact with
areas that are today located outside our national borders. Our geographical location and history mean that cross-border
cooperation is just a fact of life. Limburg is a member of four different Euregions. Together with our German and Belgian
neighbours, we are taking on challenges in a variety of fields. It is Limburg’s ambition to develop into a genuine European
region within the European Union.
Limburg’s economy is also closely knit with those of the surrounding areas in Belgium and Germany. Our Province has
joined forces with Limburg’s research and business community to present our Acceleration Agenda, which bears the title
“Limburg on its way to 2012”. It sets out a plan that will create solid alliances between education, science, government
and business — inside and outside our region.
Limburg’s unique position calls for a well thought-out, strategic, and responsive policy that delivers tangible results. That
is the task of our provincial government.
This booklet has more information about the Province of Limburg, the Provincial Council and Provincial Executive, and
the organisation that supports them in their work. We also wanted to show you where the Province of Limburg is headed,
what we intend to do in the coming years and how we plan to do it.
Here’s wishing you an enjoyable read!
Leon Frissen
Queen’s Commissioner for the Province of Limburg
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The administrative
organisation
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The administrative organisation
The Netherlands is a democracy and has an elected
government. At national level, there is the Lower House
of the Dutch Parliament and the Government; at regional
level the Parliament of the Province of Limburg and
regional executive; and at local level the municipal council
and municipal executive. The regional government is the
most important link between the national government and
Limburg’s local authorities. It represents the interests of all
the inhabitants, businesses, organisations and institutions in
Limburg at regional level. The regional government directs
matters where supra-local issues are concerned. Its work
includes building and maintaining the regional road network,
monitoring large companies and industrial sites, running
regional museums, and taking responsibility for environmental
protection, welfare institutions and youth care.
regional Parliament determines the regional government’s
general policy. It plays a role similar to that of the municipal
council at local level. One of the Parliament’s main tasks
is to adopt the annual provincial budget. It also passes
the provincial laws, known as ordinances. The Parliament
draws up plans affecting the entire province or regions
within the province. Examples are the provincial roads
plan, the Provincial Environment Plan for Limburg, and
distribution plans for educational institutions and for health
care facilities. Once every four years, the members of all the
regional Parliaments of the Netherlands elect the members
of the Upper House of Parliament. The Parliament of the
Province of Limburg monitors the day-to-day work of the
regional executive, the provincial government’s executive
branch.
The Parliament
of the Province of Limburg
Parliamentary Offices
Inhabitants of Limburg over the age of 18 elect a new
Parliament of the Province of Limburg every four years. The
number of councillors varies depending on each province’s
population. The regional Parliament meets virtually every
month. The meetings are open to the public. They are
chaired by the Queen’s Commissioner for the province.
The Parliament of the Province of Limburg has established
various committees to prepare its monthly meetings; they
are responsible for different areas of policy. The meetings of
the Parliament committees are also open to the public. The
Since the new, dual system of governance was introduced
in the Netherlands in 2003, the Parliament of the Province
of Limburg has had its own Parliamentary Offices. The
Parliamentary Offices assist the Parliament with everything
from providing factual information to advising on procedural,
legal or other matters. One particularly important task is to
prepare, draw up the minutes for and follow up on Parliament
meetings. The Parliamentary Offices also prepare the
hearings, working visits and debates of the Parliament and
its committees and serve as the Parliament’s communication
channel. Finally, the Parliamentary Offices advise individual
councillors on drawing up motions, amendments, proposals
and other matters related to their term in office.
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Regional Executive
The Parliament of the Province of Limburg elects the members
of the regional executive. These members, known as regional
ministers, are responsible for day-to-day affairs in the
Province. The regional executive prepares the Parliament’s
decisions and sees that those decisions are implemented.
Because the issues which the regional executive deals with
vary so widely in nature, its members have divided up the
tasks amongst themselves. Each regional minister has his
or her own set of tasks, referred to as a “portfolio”. Any
decisions are taken jointly. The regional executive also
implements national schemes, issues permits and funding,
monitors municipal finances and manages the regional
Government’s property. Its weekly meetings are closed, but
its decisions are always made public.
Queen’s
Commissioner
The Queen’s Commissioner is appointed by the Dutch
Crown (the ministers, presided over by the reigning king or
queen), for a six-year period. The Queen’s Commissioner
chairs both the Parliament of the Province of Limburg and
the regional executive. He may vote in the latter, but has only
an advisory vote in the former. The Queen’s Commissioner
recommends candidates for appointment as mayor, advises
on royal honours, assists the police in maintaining public
law and order, and represents the province of Limburg’s
interests in a wide range of matters.
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In Limburg, the Queen’s Commissioner is often referred
to as the “Governor”. That is because until 1794, Limburg
was governed by the King’s Governor, a military official. The
Governor’s office was located in a building in Maastricht’s
Vrijthof Square, known as the “Government Building”.
When the French arrived in 1794, the King’s Commissioner,
a civil official, moved into the Government Building with his
administrators. The King’s Commissioner came to be known
as the “Governor”, in accordance with previous practice.
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What does the Province
of Limburg do?
Limburg deserves a bright future. Its people should have a pleasant
place to live and work. There are plenty of opportunities for sustainable
development in the region. Ultimately, a strong province safeguards the
wellbeing of all its inhabitants. It is therefore in everyone’s interest for
the Province to make good use of the opportunities available to it. The
Regional Executive believes that the provincial government can play
an important role in this respect by encouraging innovative initiatives,
proposing inspiring ideas, bringing different parties together, thinking
along with them and helping them to carry out their plans.
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What does the Prov
Investing and connecting
Coalition Agreement 2007-2011
The intentions of the current provincial government have been documented in the Coalition Agreement
for 2007-2011, Investing and Connecting – a theme that summarises in concise terms the Provincial
Executive’s views of its role, tasks and aims. The Regional Executive is focusing on three areas that
correspond closely to the three Ps of corporate social responsibility: people, planet and profit. Five
working programmes have been drawn up in these areas:
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vince of Limburg do?
- People:
Investing in towns and villages
Investing in people
- Planet:
Accessible and sustainable Limburg
Investing in space
- Profit:
Innovation in Limburg
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Each programme has clear-cut, project-driven targets. For example: investing in more effective, cross-border
education; working to diversify the stock of housing and providing more tailor-made residential accommodation;
making traffic and transport more sustainable and improving traffic flows; developing a select number of regional
core areas; focusing on innovation in the economic Acceleration Agenda.
The relationship between the programmes and their objectives is obvious. For example, by working to make
Limburg more accessible, our province will also become a more attractive location for businesses. And by
investing in the education of talented youngsters, the province will have more knowledge and skill available for
innovative business activities.
Investing and
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The regional executive is marshalling its expertise, manpower and finances to achieve the targets it has set.
Above all, it is working closely with a diverse group of partners, including the local councils and the national
government. Other parties include health care and educational institutions, housing corporations, and private
parties such as commercial enterprises and investment companies. Together they are working to carry out their
plans and invest in a strong, future-proof Limburg.
The regional executive is unanimous in its conviction that these combined efforts will boost the effectiveness,
self-confidence and innovative capacity of the region. On balance, all the province’s inhabitants will enjoy the
benefits of the working programmes: greater wellbeing, improved job opportunities, a safer environment, and
better health.
connecting
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Exploring the boundaries
Limburg has its sights set across the border. That applies not only
for the Provincial government, but also for Limburg’s institutions and
companies and, most importantly, for its people. Everyday life here has
always involved contact with areas that are today located outside our
national borders. It is not wonder that Limburg is a European region in
heart and soul.
The Province and its partners are dedicated to improving their position in
Europe and to making their international projects a success. To achieve
the first aim, the Province has an influential representation in Brussels and
The Hague. The Province lobbies on its own behalf by maintaining close
contact with the European Commission, the European Parliament, and
the Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament in The Hague.
The provincial coalition has identified a number of important projectspecific aims for the 2007-2011 period. Belgian and Dutch Limburg have
defined their shared values and qualities in a manifesto entitled “East,
West, Limburg Best”. The two Limburgs are now cooperating closely to
make the priority projects from this manifesto a success.
Nederland
Amsterdam
Utrecht
Den Haag
Rotterdam
Münster
Arnhem
Duitsland
Nijmegen
Kleve
Dortmund
Eindhoven
Venlo
Antwerpen
Leuven
Düsseldorf
Hasselt
Maastricht
Köln
Aachen
Bruxelles
Li è ge
The Province and its partners in Belgium and Germany also aim to become the leading Top Technology Region (TTR) in Europe. The triangle
described by the cities of Eindhoven, Leuven and Aachen provides the
overall geographical context. Various projects have been identified in this
connection, and a number of them are already underway. In addition, the
Province wishes to simplify cross-border cooperation. A report by the
Hermans Committee on this topic appeared in June 2007; its recommendations are being implemented in a working programme bearing the
title “Limburg, Experimental Region”.
België
Frankrijk
Legenda:
Interreg IV A Duitsland-Nederland
Interreg IV A Euregio Maas-Rijn
Interreg IV A Grensregio Vlaanderen-Nederland
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Luxemburg
Luxembourg
Trier
Limburg’s geographical location and history mean that cross-border cooperation is just a fact of life here. It is the most European province of the
Netherlands and has for many years also been a member of the administrations of no less than four Euregions: the Meuse-Rhine Euregion, the
Flanders-Netherlands Border Region, the rhine-meuse-north euregion and
the Rhine-Waal Euregion. The Province of Limburg also participates in three
INTERREG programmes (IV A) that promote cross-border cooperation.
Exploring the
boundaries
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Provincial finances
Provincial
Revenues
Policy-making and policy implementation cost money. Like other
organisations, the Province draws up a budget presenting its anticipated
revenues and expenditure. The national government is the Province’s
most important source of income; it supports the Province from the
Provinces Fund (16%) and with earmarked funding (46%).
The earmarked funding consists of money that the Province distributes
on the national government’s behalf, for example to the local councils
and institutions. In addition, the Province has other sources of income,
for example the surcharge on road tax (22%), dividends (12%) and
miscellaneous (4%).
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finances
Expenditure
The Province’s expenditure consists of the costs of new initiatives and
projects and its fixed expenses, for example long-term projects, roadwork,
funding for subsidised institutions and employee wages and benefits.
An annual sum of EUR 300 million is available for expenditure in the social,
physical and economic policy domains. In addition, EUR 157 million has
been set aside to finance important new developments in these three
domains during the 2007-2011 coalition period, with matching funds to
be provided by other investors.
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The Province’s public servants
Assisting the Provincial Executive in its tasks are more than nine
hundred highly skilled public servants employed in various departments.
The Province’s public servants work in a range of different fields and
disciplines and have many different jobs, for example surveyor, lawyer or
public administrator. The entire organisation is headed by a three-person
management board.
The management board is the most senior body in the public service
organisation. The general director – known as the secretary – heads the
province’s public service organisation and bears overall responsibility. He
supervises the public servants and acts as the liaison between them and
the Provincial Executive.
The organisation chart below shows the various departments.
Organisation chart
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Getting involved
in the Province of
Limburg
Getting involved in the Province of Limburg
The Province of Limburg believes it is important for Limburg’s
inhabitants to be actively involved in their province. As a resident
of Limburg, you have many different ways of expressing your
opinion, and various opportunities to participate in provincial
policy-making.
- Public consultation process
As a member of the public, you can express your
views on a wide range of different topics, for example
about a proposal to alter a road in your neighbourhood or about development plans in your area.
Public consultation procedures are frequently prescribed by law. The Provincial Executive considers the
opinions of the public that emerge from these procedures in its decision-making. It always takes care to
weigh up private interests against the interests of the
general public.
- Interactive policy-making
Interactive policy-making is becoming more common. It
means involving all the various stakeholders and their interests at the earliest possible stage of policy preparation
and implementation. Stakeholders are invited to discuss
relevant issues early on and to contribute to developing
a common framework for policy-making. The issues concerned cover the entire spectrum of provincial policy.
- Right to speak
to speak about a Provincial decision against which an
objection or appeal may be or has been submitted to the
courts. Once a request to speak has been submitted, the
Council Offices inform the relevant party of the various
rules and procedures as soon as possible. The chairman
of the Council or a councillor can then submit a motion to
discuss the speaker’s viewpoints.
- Referendum
Consultative referendums give voters in Limburg the opportunity to express an opinion on a decision that will
have major social, economic, environmental or spatial
consequences for the Province. The initiative to hold a
referendum is taken by the Provincial Council. The outcome is regarded as a major factor in any final decision
taken.
- Public initiative
Public initiatives give the public the right to submit topics for
inclusion on the Provincial Council’s agenda. Under certain
conditions, members of the public may introduce a new topic or proposal, thereby placing issues of public concern on
the political agenda. One important requirement is that the
public initiative must have the visible support of the population: the proposal must have been signed by at least 1,500
voters. After receiving the proposal, the Provincial Council
decides whether or not to place it on the agenda. It does
not happen automatically, in other words.
The public has the right to speak during meetings of the
Provincial Council or one of its committees. Members of
the public may express their opinions about a topic on
the agenda for the meeting, subject to certain conditions.
A few topics are excluded; for example, it is prohibited
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Influence after the fact
Arbitration and mediation
The public can also express its opinions on decisions taken
by the Province or on the conduct of the Provincial government or one of its employees.
When an objection or complaint is submitted, the provincial
official handling the matter, the secretary of the Objections
Advisory Committee or the external official called in to advise will attempt to get the parties to arrive at a solution that
is satisfactory to all. Another possibility is mediation. Mediation is an alternative form of dispute resolution whereby the
parties attempt to resolve a conflict with the assistance of
a neutral third party, the mediator. Essentially, the parties
negotiate a solution themselves. That is different from court
procedures or arbitration, where the parties ask a third party
to resolve the conflict.
- Objections
If you disagree with a decision taken by the Province,
you may object to it. In most cases, once an objection
has been submitted, an independent committee of external experts – the Objections Advisory Committee for the
Province of Limburg – will issue its advice. The Province
will then take a decision based on this advice. If you also
disagree with the decision taken on your objection, you
have the option of lodging an appeal with the administrative court.
- Complaints
It may happen that you are dissatisfied with the way the
Province (or one of its employees) has treated you or
another person. In such cases, you have the option of
submitting a complaint. Such complaints are sent to an
external, impartial official for assessment and advice.
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Website
The Province’s website, www.limburg.nl, has a
dynamic homepage where you will find the latest
information about the provincial government and its
organisation, as well as press releases, decisions
and agendas. You can also let the Province know
what you think via its website. For example, you
can respond to current issues or raise issues of
your own in the Public Forum section.
One special section of the site is devoted to the
Province’s younger generation. Here, children can
find out how the Province operates, play interactive
games, and say what they think about the Province
and the Provincial Government Buildings.
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The Provincial Government Buildings on the
Meuse were built between March 1983 and
October 1985. Her Majesty Queen Beatrix officiated at the opening on Tuesday 22 April
1986. The complex that houses the provincial
government and its public servants is located on the Meuse, south of the J.F. Kennedy
Bridge in Maastricht in a district known as
“Randwyck” (named after an eighteenth-century bastion that formed part of Maastricht’s
fortifications).
The Provincial Governmen
The Provincial Government
Buildings on the Meuse
Seat of government of the Province of Limburg
The location of Limburg’s provincial government complex along and even partly in the Meuse expresses
the special significance of this complex for the entire province. After all, the Meuse flows the full length
of Limburg, from Eijsden in the south to Mook in the north. The Meuse has had a powerful influence
on the province’s landscape and history. The architectural design of the complex also illustrates the
provincial government’s relationship with the City of Maastricht: the windows and roof elements clearly
imitate Maastricht’s skyline.
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nt Buildings on the Meuse
Provincial Government Buildings, Facts and Figures
Design
Size of building
Architectenbureau Snelder B.V.
Architecten BNA, Maastricht
volume: 145,000 m3
floor space: 37,500 m2
maximum capacity: 1,000 employees
parking spaces: 617
site: 9 hectares
roof surface: 7,000 m2
Dates
start of construction: 1 March 1983
completion: 18 October 1985
official opening: 22 April 1986
Finances
total investment: EUR 66.9 million
Material used
brick: 3,500,000 units
concrete: 35,000 m3
foundation piles: 735 units
steel (reinforced): 3,200 tonnes
glass: 5,650 m2
natural stone: 7,400 m2
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Council Chamber
and Banqueting Hall
One of the Provincial Government Buildings’ most extraordinary rooms is
the Council Chamber. It is a harmonious interplay of geometric lines and
shapes based on Arabic and Islamic motifs.
The Banqueting Hall beneath the Council Chamber is almost identical in
design. The interplay of lines has been continued here and in fact extends
out onto the paved terrace on the river side of the hall. The complex
is more than a place for meetings and work. It is used for countless
other occasions and events in which the Province is involved: awards
ceremonies for cultural, sporting, literary and economic achievements;
symposiums; conferences; academic seminars; and receptions for
groups from the province and beyond.
The Provincial Government Buildings are the birthplace of the euro. It
was here, in the Council Chamber, that the European Ministers of Foreign
Affairs and Finance signed the Maastricht Treaty on 7 February 1992.
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Guided tours
It is possible to arrange a guided tour of the Provincial Government
Buildings. For information, please contact the Province’s contact
centre: +31 (0)43 389 89 89.
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History
The coat of arms of Limburg
King William III granted Limburg a coat of arms by means of a Royal Decree dated
27 December 1886. The coat of arms combines the arms of the four main princedoms that
made up what is now the Province of Limburg until the arrival of the French in 1794. The
coat of arms of Limburg therefore reflects the political history of the province.
The official description (the “blazon”) is as follows:
“Quarterly; I argent, a lion rampant double queued gules, armed and crowned or
(Valkenburg); II or, a lion rampant sable, armed and langued gules (Jülich); III or, three
buglehorns gules, vrioled of argent, arranged two-and-one (Horn); IV azure, a lion rampant
double-queued or, armed and crowned of the same, langued gules (Guelders before 1371);
and an inescutcheon argent, a lion rampant double-queued gules, crowned and armed or
(Limburg). The shield is crested by a duke’s coronet.”
The flag of Limburg
A flag for the province was adopted by the Provincial Council on 28 July 1953.
This consists of two horizontal stripes of the same height, the upper silver (white) and
the lower gold (golden yellow), separated from one another by a narrower blue stripe; all
surmounted at the hoist (flagstaff) end by a red, double-tailed, crowned lion rampant, facing
the flagstaff.
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“Limburg mijn Vaderland”
Waar in ‘t bronsgroen eikenhout
‘t nachtegaaltje zingt;
Over ‘t malse korenveld
‘t lied des leeuweriks klinkt;
Waar de hoorn des herders schalt
langs der beekjes boord:
refrain:
Daar is mijn Vaderland
Limburgs dierbaar oord!
Daar is mijn Vaderland
Limburgs dierbaar oord!
The anthem of Limburg
The anthem of Limburg was composed by Dutch teacher Gerard Krekelberg (1864-1937),
who probably wrote it at the request of Hendrik Tijssen (1862-1926), conductor of the male
voice choir in Roermond that first performed the song in 1909.
The song quickly became popular both in Dutch and Belgian Limburg and is now
considered the “anthem” of the two Limburgs (the final verse is sung only in Dutch Limburg,
however).
Waar de brede stroom der Maas
statig zeewaarts vloeit;
Weeldrig sappig veldgewas
kost’lijk groeit en bloeit;
Bloemengaard en beemd en bos
overheerlijk gloort:
- refrain Waar der vaad’ren schone taal
klinkt met held’re kracht;
Waar men kloek en fier van aard
vreemde praal veracht;
Eigen zeden, eigen schoon
‘t hart des volks bekoort:
- refrain Waar aan ‘t oud Oranjehuis
‘t volk blijft hou en trouw;
Met ons roemrijk Nederland
één in vreugd en rouw;
Trouw aan plicht en trouw aan Geus
heerst van Zuid tot Noord:
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Would you like
more information?
www.limburg.nl
Would you like more information?
If you would like more information about the Province of Limburg,
please visit our website, www.limburg.nl, or get in touch with our
contact centre.
Province of Limburg Contact Centre:
+31 (0)43 389 89 89
E-mail address:
[email protected]
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Colophon
Published by
Provincie Limburg
Cluster Communicatie
P.O. Box 5700
NL-6202 MA Maastricht
Phone: +31 (0)43 389 70 66
E-mail: [email protected]
www.limburg.nl
Graphic Design
Maas & van den Homberg ontwerpers
Printing
Andi Druk
May 2010
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Colophon
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www.limburg.nl