The government subsidy for making homes more energy efficient, is running low after one year, the Volkskrant reports. The largest part of the subsidy amount is intended for homeowners. That art of the grant is already almost completely up, according to the newspaper.
Only homeowners associations can still claim subsidies.
In the first half of this year the Dutch government gave subsidies to a record number of over 4,500 renewable energy projects, the Ministry of Economic Affairs reported on Monday. The subsidies involved a total of over 5.8 billion euros, ANP reports.
Compared to the second half of last year, the number of renewable energy projects more than doubled. Then only 2,200 projects received support from the sustainable energy stimulation regulation SDE+. In the first half of last year, it was only 986 projects.
Half of The Hague's subsidies are not distributed according to the uniform rules and regulations in place for this purpose, the Court of Auditors in The Hague concluded in a report. The city council is unable to fulfill its supervisory role as it is improperly informed and the council doesn't check whether the subsidy issued is actually used for the intended social goals, according to the report titled "Fair sharing", ANP reports.
From September 1st homeowners in Amsterdam can apply for a subsidy to remove their home from the gas connection. The Dutch capital aims to be gas-free by 2050 in order to drastically reduce CO2 emissions in the city. That means that 350 thousand homes must move from natural gas to sustainable heating and electric cooking, Het Parool reports.
The Dutch hospitals that can offer NIP tests to all pregnant women from April 1st are getting ready for a rush. They expect that half of the about 180 thousand pregnant women in the Netherlands per year will opt for the test, AD reports. Belgian company Gendia is suing the Dutch state for illegal state aid by subsidizing the test, which screens for serious disorders like Down's Syndrome.
Housing prices in Amsterdam increased a massive 23 percent last year, according to figures from the Dutch association of realtors NVM. The national average housing price increase was 9 percent, RTL Nieuws reports.
The average home in the Netherlands now costs about 20 percent more than in the low point of the financial crisis, the third quarter of 2013. The value of houses in Amsterdam is already well over half again as high.
RNW Media in Hilversum is getting rid of two thirds of its employees in a major reorganization that starts in October. A massive 61 of the broadcaster's 91 employees will have to find new employment, including managing director Robert Zaal
The Ministry of Culture launched a new fund to help out outdoor festivals and events if they are hit by bad weather, the Ministry announced on Monday. Minister Jet Bussemaker put 500 thousand euros into this fund, from which festivals can get a subsidy if they end up in financial trouble due to unforeseen bad weather.
A total of 57 law changes will go into effect in 2016. Significant laws will come into play that affect everything from tax payouts, crowd funding & crowd financing, daycare subsidies and even a new language requirements for welfare benefits.
ProRail may be getting 175 million euros less subsidy next year because the company has been pushing money for maintenance and repairs forward for years, instead of using it to repair train tracks.
After a decision by the national government to reduce subsidies to households with at least one undocumented resident, the city of Amsterdam says it will help bridge the gap for struggling families. The city says that as of July 1 the Netherlands no longer counts undocumented people as dependents, meaning their expenses do not count in the official calculation of a household's expenses.
The court in Den Bosch ruled on Wednesday that 50Plus parliamentarian Henk Krol can not be held personally liable for repayment of the 206 thousand euros subsidy Stichting Vrienden van de Gay Krant received from the Ministry of Education.
An extra 17.8 million euros will be made available for the ongoing actions aimed at fighting youth unemployment in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands has the third highest rate of cultural attendance in Europe. This includes museum tours taken, orchestras attended and theaters visited.The only countries in Europe to have a higher rate are Denmark and Sweden.
Amsterdam is initiating a six-month trial of 425 city-subsidized jobs next year. The goal is for each subsidy to lead to a full-time unsubsidized job, with a third of the subsidies earmarked for young people with limited work experience.
The European Commission has expressed doubts over the justification for some requests for compensation to farmers for subsidies for perishable fruits and vegetables. The EU hereby postpones the allocation of these subsidies on the basis of dubious claims, Z24 reports.
According to an investigation conducted in cooperation with Omroep Brabant, the province of Brabant earned €4.7 billion from energy company Essent in the last 14 years.
According to the latest polls, Geert Wilders and his PVV party are going to lose big in the European elections. Geenstijl and Ipsos peg D66 for the win.
The Dutch embassy in Sudan advised its compatriots to stay in as much as possible. The advice follows violent protests in the country against the abolition of subsidy on fuel.
