OECD Territorial Reviews: Netherlands 2014
The Dutch economy has been traditionally very competitive among OECD countries. The
global financial crisis however has brought new challenges, especially during the
second shock, from 2011 onwards. The government’s recovery plan, which includes various
measures such as fiscal consolidation, stimulating innovation and sub-national government
reform has an important territorial dimension. This review focuses on how sub-national
institutions and development can help the Netherlands meet its challenges. In the
short-term, factors such as the contribution of all regions, better use of resources,
and more efficient provision of goods and services can help the recovery. In the long
term, improving national competitiveness will largely depend on a strong performance
of the polycentric city structure, which characterises the Netherlands. The key policy
areas explored in this review include: the recently created top-sector innovation
policy; decentralisation; and territorial reforms such as municipal and provincial
re-scaling through mergers or co-operation.
Published on April 24, 2014
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