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Updating the Netherlands' Plan for Green Energy, Digital Upgrades, and Better Housing
Published December 17, 2025
Goal: Keep plan on track
The European Council updated the Netherlands’ Recovery and Resilience Plan, tweaking 34 measures, adding two new ones, keeping the EU money the same, and adjusting the budget and timeline so the plan stays on track.
What the document is about
The European Council is amending the decision that approved the Netherlands’ Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP).
The plan was originally approved on 4 October 2022 and has now been updated because some of its measures can no longer be carried out as originally planned. The amendment adds, removes or changes 34 measures, adjusts the budget and the timetable, and keeps the EU financial contribution unchanged.
How the problem is being solved
- The Dutch government has submitted a revised RRP that explains why 34 measures need to be changed.
- The changes are grouped into three types:
- Measures that are no longer fully achievable – e.g. a roadside station project that is delayed because of technical problems and equipment shortages.
- Measures that are affected by price rises – e.g. offshore wind and housing‑related projects that have become more expensive.
- Measures that are replaced by better alternatives – e.g. new ways to reach the same climate or digital goals with lower costs or less administrative burden.
- The revised plan also adds two new measures (electric‑vehicle subsidies and a new investment in sustainable energy) and increases the implementation level of two other measures.
- The overall cost of the revised RRP is EUR 5 443 185 601. The EU will still contribute EUR 5 441 423 046 – the same amount as before.
What changes as a result of this document
- The annex to the original 4 October 2022 decision is replaced by a new annex that lists all amended, added and removed measures.
- Milestones and targets are updated to match the new timetable.
- The Commission has re‑assessed the plan and confirmed that it still meets all criteria: no significant harm to the environment, strong contribution to the REPowerEU and green‑transition goals, and a reasonable cost estimate (rated “B”).
- The financial contribution from the EU remains unchanged because the revised cost is only slightly higher than the maximum available.
Key information that does not fit into the three main sections
| Component | Main focus | Key reforms / investments | Important dates / targets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green transition | Promote renewable energy, reduce nitrogen pollution, improve energy efficiency | • Energy taxation reform (tariff changes 2024‑2026) • CO₂ levy for industry (new rate 2024‑2026) • Air‑travel tax increase (2023) • Vehicle‑tax reform (2025‑2026) • Energy law (2025) • Offshore wind, green hydrogen, zero‑emission transport, aviation, electric‑vehicle subsidies, AI‑labour‑training | • 34 measures amended; 23 replaced by better alternatives; 2 added; 2 increased in scope. |
| Digital transformation | Build digital skills, modernise transport, improve public data | • Quantum Delta NL (2024) • AI Ned & learning communities (2024‑2025) • Digital education platform (2025) • Digital infrastructure for logistics (2024‑2026) • European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) (2022‑2026) • Intelligent roadside stations (iWKS) (2023‑2026) • Open Government Act (2022) | • 12 milestones for 2024‑2026; 152 iWKS installed by 2023, 394 by 2026. |
| Housing & real‑estate | Increase housing supply, reduce tax distortions, improve energy efficiency | • Increase vacant‑possession value ratio (2023) • Phase‑out gift‑tax exemption (2023‑2024) • Centralised housing‑planning (2022‑2026) • Rent‑increase limits (2022) • Construction‑procedure reforms (2024) • Subsidies for public‑sector renovation (2025) • Subsidies for sustainable energy & savings (2025) | • 900 000 new dwellings planned by 2030; 600 000 affordable. |
| Labour market & pensions | Modernise pensions, reduce self‑employment distortions, up‑skill workers | • Reduce self‑employed tax deduction (2023‑2026) • Mandatory disability insurance for self‑employed (2026) • Reform second‑pillar pension (2023‑2026) • Tackling bogus self‑employment (2025‑2026) • Learning‑loss programmes for migrants and pupils (2021‑2023) | • 66 % of pension assets to be transferred to new system by 2027. |
| Health & pandemic preparedness | Boost health‑care capacity, e‑health, data infrastructure | • Additional human‑resources training (2025) • Expand intensive‑care beds (2023) • SET COVID‑19 e‑health grants (2022) • Health Research Infrastructure (2023) | • 51 hospitals to expand ICU; 67 hospitals to train staff. |
| Tax & money‑laundering | Reduce aggressive tax planning, limit cash payments | • Withholding tax on dividends to low‑tax jurisdictions (2024) • Mismatch‑tax‑principle law (2022) • Interest‑deduction limitation (2021) • Loss‑relief limits (2022) • Anti‑money‑laundering cash‑payment limit (2025) | • 20 % increase in FIU staff (2024). |
Other important points
- Assessment criteria – The Commission confirmed that the revised plan still meets all criteria: no significant harm to the environment, strong contribution to the green transition (54.3 % of total cost), and a “B” rating for cost efficiency.
- Financial contribution – The EU will pay EUR 5 441 423 046 in four instalments (2024‑2026) that match the revised milestones.
- Monitoring & control – A central repository system will collect all data on milestones, targets and financial flows. The Dutch audit authority will conduct regular audits to ensure proper use of EU funds.
- Implementation timeline – Key milestones range from 2024 (energy tax changes) to 2026 (grid‑code amendments, new housing plans). The plan is fully integrated into the Dutch national budget and reporting cycle.
This amendment keeps the Netherlands’ recovery plan on track while adapting it to new circumstances, ensuring that EU funds are used efficiently and that the country continues to meet its climate, digital, housing, labour‑market and health objectives.
Licensing: The summaries on this page are available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).
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