Security Council warns of emergency risks, calls for €240 million in immediate funding
The Netherlands is highly vulnerable to floods, large-scale fires, and other major cross-regional emergencies unless the new government immediately allocates at least 240 million euros and overhauls the country’s emergency response system, the Security Council warned Monday. The council represents the 25 regional emergency services areas across the Netherlands, with each area led by a mayor who sits on the council to coordinate disaster preparedness.
According to De Telegraaf, in a letter sent to informateur Sybrand Buma and parliamentary leaders Rob Jetten (D66) and Henri Bontenbal (CDA), Security Council chairman Hein van der Loo called the funding demand “not a request, but a mandate to the new cabinet.” He described the situation as “a ticking time bomb on the table.”
To strengthen emergency response, van der Loo urged the creation of a national command structure for emergencies that cross regional borders, with clear legal backing. Currently, interregional aid is not guaranteed, leaving each safety region to operate independently.
When Groningen requests assistance after a dike breach, fire brigades and specialists must be sent from Twente or Limburg, leaving those regions sometimes unable to meet legally required response times. “Saving one area comes at the expense of another. That is unacceptable,” Van der Loo said.
The council noted that five years after the 2020 Muller Commission warned of gaps in disaster law, no structural improvements have been implemented. The Muller Commission was a government-appointed review that found the Netherlands’ regional emergency system legally and structurally unprepared for large-scale or cross-regional disasters.
The Security Council’s executive leadership, the RCDV, which includes the 25 regional fire commanders, emphasized that Defense forces must be legally guaranteed to respond during major disasters such as floods or wildfires, even if troops are deployed abroad to NATO operations.
Van der Loo stressed the urgency: “Our message is clear: this is not a wish list. This is an instruction from all Dutch citizens. While Buma, Jetten, and Bontenbal are still negotiating migration and purchasing power, a ticking time bomb is on the table.”
