Ministries of the Netherlands

Last updated April 25, 2019

The most influential part of the executive of the Government of the Netherlands are the ministries. There are twelve ministries of the Netherlands, all with their own minister. There are also several ministers without portfolio and about as many State Secretaries.

The cabinet of the Netherlands is the main executive body of the Netherlands. The current cabinet of the Netherlands is the Third Rutte cabinet, which has been in power since 26 October 2017. It is headed by Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his deputies Hugo de Jonge, Kajsa Ollongren and Carola Schouten.

A ministry is a governmental organisation, headed by a minister, that is meant to manage a specific sector of public administration. Governments may have differing numbers and types of ministries, but the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary notes that all states have a Ministry of Interior, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a Ministry of Defense, a Ministry of Justice and a Ministry of Finance. A Ministry of Education or similar is also commonly present.

A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister who does not head a particular ministry. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet with decision-making authority wherein a minister without portfolio, while he or she may not head any particular office or ministry, still receives a ministerial salary and has the right to cast a vote in cabinet decisions. In some countries where the executive branch is not composed of a coalition of parties and, more often, in countries with purely presidential systems of government, such as the United States, the position of minister without portfolio is uncommon.

List

		Responsibilities	Agencies	Minister responsible	Website
Ministry of General Affairs (Dutch: Ministerie van Algemene Zaken)	AZ	Government policy • Planning • Information • Dutch royal house	Government Information Service Scientific Council for Government Policy	Mark Rutte as Prime Minister	(in English) Ministry of General Affairs
Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (Dutch: Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties)	BZK	Domestic policy • Civil service • Public administration • Elections • Local governments • Intelligence • Kingdom Relations	Safety Board General Intelligence and Security Service PKIoverheid	Kajsa Ollongren as Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations	(in English) Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Dutch: Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken)	BZ	Foreign relations • Foreign policy • International development • International trade • European Union • NATO • Benelux • Diaspora	Center for the Promotion of Imports	Stef Blok as Minister of Foreign Affairs	(in English) Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Finance (Dutch: Ministerie van Financiën)	FIN	Economic policy • Monetary policy • Fiscal policy • Tax policy • Incomes policy • Financial market • Regulations • Government budget	Tax and Customs Administration FIOD-ECD Authority for the Financial Markets	Wopke Hoekstra as Minister of Finance	(in English) Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Justice and Security (Dutch: Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid)	J&V	Justice system • Law enforcement • Public security • Emergency management • Counter-terrorism • Immigration policy • Legal aid • Drug policy • Incarcerations	National Police Services Agency Public Prosecution Service National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism Forensic Institute Immigration and Naturalisation Service Custodial Institutions Agency	Dr. Ferdinand Grapperhaus as Minister of Justice and Security	(in English) Ministry of Justice and Security
Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (Dutch: Ministerie van Economische Zaken en Klimaat)	EZK	Commercial policy • Energy policy • Environmental policy • Climate change policy • Renewable energy policy • Nuclear energy policy • Industrial policy • Investment policy • Technology policy • Mining • Trade • Space policy • Natural resource • Tourism	Foreign Investment Agency Space Office Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis Department of Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards Patent Office Central Agency for Statistics Environmental Assessment Agency	Eric Wiebes as Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy	(in English) Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy
Ministry of Defence (Dutch: Ministerie van Defensie)	DEF	Armed forces • Military policy • National security • Veterans Affairs • Military police • Defence diplomacy • Humanitarian aid	Army Navy Air Force Marechaussee Coastguard Military Intelligence and Security Service	Ank Bijleveld as Minister of Defence	(in English) Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (Dutch: Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport)	VWS	Health care • Health policy • Health insurance • Pharmaceutical policy • Vaccination policy • Welfare • Biomedical sciences • Sport	National Institute for Public Health and the Environment Health Care Inspectorate	Hugo de Jonge as Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport	(in English) Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (Dutch: Ministerie van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid)	SZW	Social policy • Employment • Labour economics • Occupational safety and health • Social security • Consumer protection • Trades unions • Emancipation		Wouter Koolmees as Minister of Social Affairs and Employment	(in English) Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment
Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (Dutch: Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap)	OCW	Education policy • Cultural policy • Science policy • Knowledge policy • Research • Innovation • Art • Gender equality • Communication • Media	Public Broadcasting Agency National Archives National Library Equal Treatment Commission	Ingrid van Engelshoven as Minister of Education, Culture and Science	(in English) Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Dutch: Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat)	I&W	Transport • Aviation • Housing policy • Public works • Spatial planning • Land management • Water Management	Rijkswaterstaat Meteorological Institute	Cora van Nieuwenhuizen as Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management	(in English) Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (Dutch: Ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit)	LNV	Agricultural policy • Food policy • Food safety • Fisheries • Natural conservation • Forestry • Animal welfare		Carola Schouten as Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality	(in English) Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

Related Research Articles

The Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the head of the executive branch of the Government of the Netherlands in his capacity as chair of the Council of Ministers. The Prime Minister is de facto the head of government of the Netherlands and coordinates its policy with his cabinet. The current Dutch Prime Minister is Mark Rutte, in office since 2010.

A minister is a politician who heads a government department, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the "prime minister", "premier", "chief minister", "Chancellor" or other title.

A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.

Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport Dutch ministry

The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport is the Dutch Ministry responsible for public health, health care, quality of life, social work and sport. The Ministry was created in 1951 as the "Ministry of Social Affairs and Health" and had several name changes before it became the "Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport" in 1994. The Ministry is headed by the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport, currently Hugo de Jonge (CDA), assisted by one State secretary, currently Paul Blokhuis (CU), and the Minister for Medical Care, currently Bruno Bruins (VVD).

The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science is the Dutch Ministry responsible for education, culture, science, research, gender equality and communications. The Ministry was created in 1918 as the Ministry of Education, Arts and Sciences and had several name changes before it became the Education, Culture and Science in 1994. The Ministry is headed by the Minister of Education, Culture and Science, currently Ingrid van Engelshoven.

The Ministry of General Affairs is the Dutch Ministry responsible for Government policy, Planning, Information and the Dutch royal house. The Ministry was created in 1937 and dissolved in 1945, but in 1947 it was reinstated by then Prime Minister Louis Beel. The Ministry remained small until 1967, when it was greatly expanded by then Prime Minister Piet de Jong. Since his premiership the Ministry has continued to expand to the present day. The Minister of General Affairs is the head of the Ministry who is also Prime Minister and a member of the Cabinet of the Netherlands. The current Minister and Prime Minister is Mark Rutte.

The Ministry of Justice and Security is the Dutch Ministry responsible for justice, imprisonment and public security. The Ministry was created in 1798 as the Department of Justice, before it became in 1876 the Ministry of Justice. In 2010, it took over the public safety duties from the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and became Ministry of Security and Justice. In 2017 the Ministry was renamed to Ministry of Justice and Security. The Ministry is headed by the Minister of Justice and Security, Ferdinand Grapperhaus (CDA) since 26 October 2017.

The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations is the Dutch Ministry responsible for Domestic policy, Civil service, Public administration, Elections, Local governments, Intelligence and Kingdom Relations. The Ministry was created in 1798 as the Department of Internal Police to monitor the state of dikes, roads and waters of the Batavian Republic. In 1876, it became the Ministry of the Interior and had several name changes before adopting its current name in 1998.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the Dutch Ministry responsible for Foreign relations, Foreign policy, International development, International trade, Diaspora and matters dealing with the European Union, NATO and the Benelux Union. The Ministry was created in 1798 as the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Batavian Republic. In 1876, it became the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Minister of Foreign Affairs is the head of the Ministry and a member of the Cabinet of the Netherlands. The current Minister is Stef Blok. The Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation is a Minister without portfolio within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The current Minister is Sigrid Kaag.

The Ministry of Defence is the Dutch Ministry responsible for the armed forces of the Netherlands and Veterans Affairs. The Ministry was created in 1813 as the "Ministry of War" and in 1928 was combined with the "Ministry of the Navy". After World War II in the ministries were separated again, in this period the Minister of War and Minister of the Navy were often the same person and the State secretary for the Navy was responsible for daily affairs of the Royal Dutch Navy. In 1959 the ministries were merged. The Ministry is headed by the Minister of Defence, currently Ank Bijleveld, assisted by a State secretary and the Chief of the Defence of the Netherlands, Rob Bauer since 2017.

The Ministry of Finance is the Dutch Ministry responsible for Economic policy, Monetary policy, Fiscal policy, Tax policy, Incomes policy, Regulations, Government budget and the Financial market. The Ministry was created in 1798 as the Department of Finance of the Batavian Republic. In 1876, it became the Ministry of Finance. The Minister of Finance is the head of the Ministry and a member of the Cabinet of the Netherlands. The current Minister is Wopke Hoekstra.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality is the Dutch Ministry responsible for Agricultural policy, Food policy, Food safety, Fisheries, Forestry, Natural conservation, and Animal welfare. The Ministry was created in 1935 and in 2010 the department was merged with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and was named the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation. In 2017 the Ministry was reinstated. The Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality is the head of the Ministry and a member of the Cabinet of the Netherlands. The current Minister is Carola Schouten who also serves as Third Deputy Prime Minister.

The Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management was a Dutch ministry responsible for water management, public and private transport and infrastructure. It is now part of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.

The Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment was a Dutch ministry. It was responsible for policies on public housing, spatial planning, the environment and the housing of national government agencies. It was merged with the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management into the new Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment on 14 October 2010.

An energy minister is a position in many governments responsible for energy production and regulation, developing governmental energy policy, scientific research, and natural resources conservation. In some countries, environmental responsibilities are given to a separate environment minister.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Netherlands.

The Chief of Defence is the highest-ranking military officer in the Armed forces of the Netherlands and is the principal military advisor to the Minister of Defence. On behalf of the Minister of Defence, he is responsible for operational policy, strategic planning and for preparing and executing military operations carried out by the Armed forces. The Chief of Defence is in charge of the central staff and is the direct commanding officer of all the commanders of the branches of the Armed forces. In this capacity the Chief of Defence directs all the activities of the Royal Netherlands Army, the Royal Netherlands Navy and Royal Netherlands Air Force. He is also in charge of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, when it is operating under the responsibility of the Minister of Defence.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy is the Dutch Ministry responsible for Commercial policy, International trade, Industrial policy, Investment policy, Technology policy, Energy policy, Nuclear energy policy, Renewable energy policy, Environmental policy, Climate change policy, Natural resources, Mining, Space policy and Tourism Affairs. The Ministry was created in 1905 as the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce and had several name changes before it became the Ministry of Economic Affairs in 1946. In 2010 the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality was merged with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and was renamed as the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation. In 2012 the name was reverted as the Ministry of Economic Affairs but keept the responsibilities of the former Ministry of Agriculture. In 2017 the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality was reinstated but the Ministry of Economic Affairs took on several of the Environmental policies portfolios from the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment which was renamed as the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and with the Ministry of Economic Affairs renamed as the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management is the Dutch Ministry responsible for Transport, Aviation, Housing policy, Public works, Spatial planning, Land management and Water Management. The Ministry was created in 2010 as the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment following the merger of the Ministry of Transport and Water Management and the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment. In 2017 the Ministry was renamed as the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and the responsibilities for Environmental policy and Climate change policy were transferred to the Ministry of Economic Affairs.