The Dutch Council of Ministers has approved a bill to promote the integrity of decentralized government. This bill responds to the need of local and regional authorities for new opportunities to deal with administrative and integrity issues. The bill leads to amendments to the Municipalities Act, the Provinces Act, the Water Boards Act, the Public Bodies Act Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba and the Elections Act.
For example, prospective aldermen, deputies, members of the day-to-day management of water boards and island deputies from Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba are obliged to submit a VOG (Obligation Statement of Behavior) when they are appointed. In addition, provisions regarding conflicts of interest of directors are clarified. This concerns functions that are not compatible with political office, acts that are prohibited for a political office holder and the obligation to abstain from deliberation and voting under certain circumstances. In addition, the legal provisions regarding the imposition and removal of confidentiality are simplified.
The information position of the King's Commissioner is also strengthened by giving him the right to attend (closed) meetings and to view documents containing (secret) information. This gives the King's Commissioner more concrete tools to carry out his existing legal task to advise and mediate in disturbed administrative relations in a municipality or if the administrative integrity of a municipality is at stake.
Finally, the existing rules for redistribution of seats in the event of list exhaustion will be extended. This is now only possible in the smallest municipalities with municipal councils with a size of up to 13 seats, but is extended to municipalities with municipal councils with a size of up to 19 seats. This prevents council seats remaining empty in these municipalities in the event of administrative problems.
The Council of Ministers has agreed to send the bill to the Council of State for advice.
|
NAZALI TAX & LEGAL |