Events
Presentation of Clingendael Energy Publication 'Dertig Jaar Nederlands Energiebeleid' ('Thirty Years Dutch Energy Policy') 17 May 2005
Recently Jacques de Jong, CIEP Research Fellow and former director of the Dutch Energy Regulator (Dte) and Ed Weeda, Chairman of the Netherlands Committee of the World Energy Council and former President of the Netherlands Agency for Energy and Environment (NOVEM) have concluded their study into thirty years Dutch energy policy. Assisted by Theo Westerwoudt, former CIEP Research Fellow and reporter on energy issues for NRC Handelsblad, and Aad Correljé, CIEP Research Fellow and Assistant Professor at Delft University, they have written a thorough and insightful work on the making of Dutch energy policy since 1973.
On Tuesday 17 May, Jacques de Jong will presented the main findings of the study. Luc Barbé, former Chief of Cabinet of Belgium's State Secretary for Energy and Sustainable Development Olivier Deleuze and author of a book on the Belgian energy sector commented on the presentation. Minister of Economic Affairs Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst was offered a first copy of the publication and presented his reflections on thirty years Dutch energy policy.
'Dertig Jaar Nederlands Energiebeleid' ('Thirty Years Dutch Energy Policy') is more than an overview of energy policy since 1973. It also provides insights into the successes and failures of that energy policy as well as into the processes behind it. Furthermore, the study holds a mirror to everyone involved in energy policy-making in the past thirty years: regarding one’s own role in the process, the differences between policy intentions and policy implementation, regarding the vision on European developments and especially regarding the important role of natural gas in the Netherlands.
Looking at the past to learn from it for the present and future is useful. Not only in order to remember the turning points and drivers in the energy markets, but also to understand the sensitivities between stakeholders that can be in the way of a common view on the future and an effective energy policy. New generations of policy-makers, politicians and managers can draw a comparison to their predecessors and try to avoid mistakes made in the past and to surpass the successes.