Netherlands
This country note provides an overview of the key characteristics of the education system in the Netherlands. It draws on data from Education at a Glance 2023. In line with the thematic focus of this year’s Education at a Glance, it emphasises vocational education and training (VET), while also covering other parts of the education system. Data in this note are provided for the latest available year, Readers interested in the reference years for the data are referred to the corresponding tables in Education at a Glance 2023.
The Dutch labour market is strong but very tight. The unprecedently fast recovery from the pandemic, fast-changing skill demand, low hours worked, and the segmentation of the labour market contribute to labour shortages, weighing on growth potential and jeopardising the green and digital transitions. To tackle shortages, lifting labour supply is a necessary complement to raising productivity, as labour-saving innovation alone is unlikely to significantly reduce overall labour demand. Lowering the effective tax rate on moving from part-time to full-time employment and streamlining income-dependent benefits while improving access to childcare would both increase labour input and reduce gender inequalities in career prospects, incomes, and social protection. Narrowing regulatory gaps between regular and non-standard forms of employment further would alleviate shortages by facilitating transitions between occupations. Better integrating people with a migrant background and easing medium-skill labour migration in specific occupations would help to fill vacancies, especially those related to the lowcarbon transition. Scaling up the individualised training scheme while ensuring quality and providing stronger incentives for co-financing by employers would boost the supply of skills and promote growth in expanding industries. Rewarding teachers in schools where shortages are significant and facilitating mobility between vocational and academic tracks would improve equality in education and better prepare the future workforce.
The Dutch labour market is strong but very tight. The unprecedently fast recovery from the pandemic, fast-changing skill demand, low hours worked, and the segmentation of the labour market contribute to labour shortages, weighing on growth potential and jeopardising the green and digital transitions. To tackle shortages, lifting labour supply is a necessary complement to raising productivity, as labour-saving innovation alone is unlikely to significantly reduce overall labour demand. Lowering the effective tax rate on moving from part-time to full-time employment and streamlining income-dependent benefits while improving access to childcare would both increase labour input and reduce gender inequalities in career prospects, incomes, and social protection. Narrowing regulatory gaps between regular and non-standard forms of employment further would alleviate shortages by facilitating transitions between occupations. Better integrating people with a migrant background and easing medium-skill labour migration in specific occupations would help to fill vacancies, especially those related to the low-carbon transition. Scaling up the individualised training scheme while ensuring quality and providing stronger incentives for co-financing by employers would boost the supply of skills and promote growth in expanding industries. Rewarding teachers in schools where shortages are significant and facilitating mobility between vocational and academic tracks would improve equality in education and better prepare the future workforce.
This Survey is published on the responsibility of the Economic and Development Review Committee of the OECD, which is charged with the examination of the economic situation of member countries.
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine disrupted a strong rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic. The cost of living has increased, spurred by rapidly rising energy prices.The government has acted swiftly to support households and firms, but should now shift from crisis mode to longer-term sustainability considerations.
The Dutch economy recovered quickly from the COVID-19 shock, returning to its pre-pandemic growth path by early 2022. But rising inflation, amplified by rapidly rising global energy prices following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, has been weighing on growth. A healthy fiscal position allowed for temporary support against high energy costs, but support should become more targeted to vulnerable households. Streamlining the tax system would enhance macro-financial stability and productivity by reducing debt bias and distortions in investment and labour supply decisions. Policy reforms to advance the green transition can reduce dependence on fossil fuel energy and the country’s exposure to global energy price fluctuations.
Low-emission hydrogen is expected to play an important role in the energy transition to tackle the climate crisis. It can decarbonate “hard-to-abate” sectors still relying on fossil fuels, turn low-carbon electricity into a fuel that can be transported using pipelines and provide a green transport alternative, in particular for heavy-duty and long-distance transport. Given its potential to combat climate change, it can allow for a net reduction in societal risks if managed responsibly. However, while its potential is widely acknowledged, its application is not yet meeting ambitions. Regulation is crucial to facilitate its application and ensure its safety. This report analyses trends, risks, and regulation of hydrogen technologies across economies. It supports the use of low-emission hydrogen as part of the energy transition, by making recommendations for effective risk-based regulation, regulatory delivery and governance.
This chapter provides the context for hydrogen risk regulation and governance. It first discusses the role of hydrogen within the energy transition and hydrogen strategies in the Netherlands and Europe. The chapter also highlights trends in the production and use of hydrogen and projections for the future. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the properties of hydrogen by putting these in comparison with other conventional fuels.
The mapping exercise presents scholarly output, including experimental and modelling studies, relating to six selected scenarios of hydrogen-related accidents. The main conclusions from the study of the literature and identified knowledge gaps are also discussed for each scenario.
This chapter provides an overview of scenario-based data of two hydrogen incident and accident databases to generate insights into the nature of potential safety consequences.
This report was prepared at the request of the Dutch government and funded by the European Commission’s (EC) Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM). The findings and recommendations in the report are tailored to the Dutch context but may be relevant for other countries, taking into account contextual specificities. It aims to support the transition towards wide-spread use of low-emission hydrogen, by developing a set of recommendations on its regulation and governance. To do so, the report analyses six distinct scenarios that cover different parts of the hydrogen lifecycle from production to usage. These scenarios have been selected at the request of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.
This chapter discusses the major safety issues that may be encountered during the transportation of hydrogen through pipelines, most notably unintentional leakage. Key safety elements and recommendations are also presented.
This chapter provides an overview of the hydrogen energy law and regulations across several countries. It presents the regulations related to hydrogen technologies in different scenarios/applications during the entire hydrogen life cycle.
This section discusses the accident scenario of leakage from a vehicle carrying hydrogen or from a hydrogen-powered vehicle. It also presents the key safety and failure elements and proposes specific safety recommendations.
This section investigates a scenario in which there is a road accident involving hydrogen powered vehicle inside a tunnel. It presents the key safety concerns and proposed measures to avoid a worst-case scenario.
This section highlights the typical initiating events that could lead to a leak during hydrogen production via electrolysis (such as mechanical failure or over pressurisation). It also proposes recommendations on key safety elements for a water electrolysis site.
This section examines the hydrogen legal framework in ten countries: Australia, China, England, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the Republic of Korea and the United States. The review investigates the general legal framework and regulations relating to six distinct accident scenarios.