Delta Commissioner visits European Climate and Environment Directors-General

On Tuesday 20 December, Delta Commissioner Wim Kuijken visited the European Commission in Brussels. He first spoke with Karl Falkenberg, Environment Director-General, and later in the day with Jos Delbeke, Climate Director-General. The subject of discussion at both meetings was the approach of the Dutch Delta Programme regarding water safety and the freshwater supply.

Beforehand, the Delta Commissioner met Derk Oldenburg, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Netherlands at the Commission. 

One of the topics discussed in the meeting with Environment Director-General Kurt Falkenberg, who is responsible for water policy, was the way in which the Delta Programme brings together relevant parties regarding the collective goal of long-term water safety and the freshwater supply. And how the Delta Programme creates the maximum amount of room for innovation through its integrated and flexible approach. Attention was also paid to innovative concepts like adaptive delta management and Building with Nature. There was a lot of interest in the way in which safety and nature are linked in the Netherlands, for example, in the Sand Motor project and natural foreshores. 

In addition, the role of the European Innovation Partnership for Water Efficient Europe was also discussed. The approach that the Environment Director-General of the European Commission supports turns out to be in good keeping with the Dutch approach of the Water Top Sector. 

Together with travelling companion Renske Peters (Director of the Water Top Sector & International Affairs) and Hugo von Meijenfeldt (Deputy Director-General and Director of International Affairs at the Ministry of Infrastructure & the Environment, Wim Kuijken invited Environment Director-General Falkenberg to visit the Netherlands with a view to, on the one hand the European Innovation Partnership and the Top Sector, and on the other hand to see examples of the Dutch delta approach with his own eyes.

The talk with Climate Director-General Jos Delbeke was along similar lines. The focus was on how the elaboration of the Climate Adaptation white book (that falls under the responsibility of the Climate Directorate-General) relates to the Dutch national approach. Here too, the question was how the Dutch and European approaches can strengthen one another. Mr Delbeke was very interested in the view of the Delta Commissioner on a sound European climate adaptation approach. In addition, among other things, the role of the Clearing House Mechanism was discussed. Wim Kuijken invited Jos Delbeke to join the working visit to the Netherlands and a date will be agreed as soon as possible.

Finally, the Delta Commissioner also met with the Dutch Ambassador to Belgium, Henne Schuwer. The talk focused mainly on the relationship between the South-western Delta and Flanders, and future opportunities for cooperating in this delta (Schelde) and along the coast. 

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