Overview
- Zuid-Holland unveiled a structurally balanced 2026 budget of more than €1.1 billion, supported by a new Provinciefonds distribution taking effect on 1 January 2026 and higher fixed central grants.
- An investment reserve of €120 million in Zuid-Holland is earmarked for acceleration, including nitrogen-permitting capacity, water quality, housing in vulnerable areas, infrastructure such as the Maassluis–Rozenburg ferry, and upkeep of the Kinderdijk UNESCO site.
- Noord-Holland’s Provincial Council approved directions for renewing the Omgevingsvisie 2050 and will launch a public phase on 3 November with an online choice tool to weigh trade-offs across housing, nature, agriculture and industry.
- Noord-Holland also adopted motions to improve women’s safety in public spaces by mapping unsafe provincial locations and drafting an action plan, following the August killing of a 17-year-old girl.
- Friesland proposed a €637 million budget for 2026 and plans to allocate windfalls to Wadden Sea protection, traffic safety increases of €4.5 million per year and additional staffing, subject to Provincial Council approval; Amersfoort and Amstelveen presented multi‑year balanced municipal plans to sustain investments despite capacity risks.