Headlines November
Dutch not well prepared for disaster: 'We are a vulnerable country'
The Dutch need to be better prepared for a potential disaster. So says Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV), in an interview with the AD. A new campaign begins next Thursday. "The shock resistance of our society can go up. We have lost the preparation for disaster for a long time," Aalbersberg told the newspaper. "My generation still knows Minister Ter Horst's emergency package. That awareness and preparation has to come back."
New disaster campaign
On Dec. 1, a campaign will begin telling Dutch people how to get by without gas, water and power for the first 72 hours after a cyber attack or disaster. Tips for this can be accessed on the already existing site crisis.nl, developed by the NCTV. The last time there was such a campaign was in 2009. Then Interior Minister Guusje ter Horst launched the so-called Think Ahead campaign. Households were advised to have an emergency kit in the house with a wind-up radio, pocket knife and first-aid kit. Aalbersberg and his colleagues Erik Akerboom (AIVD) and Major General Jan Swillens (MIVD) also warn against naiveté in the AD article, a joint interview. Yesterday, the Dutch security services AIVD and MIVD and the NCTV already released a report on the threat from China and Russia, among others. The three services called the Netherlands "an attractive target for espionage activities." This is due in part to the presence of "underground physical energy pipelines," the "highly developed digital infrastructure" and the "high-quality knowledge of companies and institutions" in the Netherlands.
Russian spies
According to Swillens, the Dutch need to be able to make a translation to their own situation. "What does this threat mean for me now? I now work for a Chinese company, can I continue to work there? Or: I do business with countries I may not have a very good feeling about, is that possible?" The idea that an open economic system and economic dependence prevent war and strife has "changed violently," says Aalbersberg. "Russia wants to undermine stability, China wants to become the most powerful country in the world." Swillens: "If you look at cyber-China now: they are extremely capable, they want to steal knowledge here and they do. So all signals are red." In a response to the security services report, the cabinet said that dealing with threats from other countries needs to kick into high gear, "in light of the more unsettled and unstable geopolitical environment." Russian military intelligence has been known, for example, to set up front companies to circumvent sanctions and trade restrictions. Just earlier this year, 17 Russian spies were expelled from the country.
Crashed platform migration cause of Tax Phone outage
A crashed platform migration was the cause that the BelastingTelefoon, including Toeslagen, and the DouaneTelefoon were unavailable last Monday and Tuesday. This was stated by State Secretary of Finance Van Rij in a letter to the Lower House.
Last Friday, the migration of one of the generic platforms at the Belastingdienst was scheduled. "These kinds of major changes are planned over the weekend to avoid disruption as much as possible. Unfortunately, the planned migration got stuck halfway through, so it could not be completed over the weekend," the secretary of state said. Because the migration could not be completed over the weekend, several systems of the Tax Department, Surcharges and Customs faced disruption. For example, certain internal pages were not accessible or employees could not log into the internal systems. The technology needed for the Tax Phone and Customs Phone systems was also part of the migration, making those inaccessible as well.
Together with the supplier, we eventually managed to complete the migration. Yesterday there still appeared to be a technical problem with the forwarding of incoming call traffic. It was possible to call citizens back from the Tax Information Line and the Customs Information Line, and employees could log into systems again. Van Rij went on to say that it is still unclear what the exact cause and possible other consequences of the malfunction are.
Drenthe electricity grid is as good as full, no new connections
New companies and existing businesses that want to expand their operations in Drenthe cannot purchase power directly from the electricity grid for the time being. This is because the limits of what the high-voltage grid can handle have been reached, according to grid managers Tennet and Enexis. The supply of electricity is therefore coming under pressure, which also applies to a small part of the province of Overijssel. At the end of this month, an investigation into solutions to the resulting blockage will begin. During that process, the grid operators cannot make firm agreements with business customers about new or strengthening existing connections.
According to Daphne Verreth, director of Energy System and Transition at Enexis, this does not mean that the grid will be locked, but that as far as connections are concerned, the light will go to orange. "Customers can sign up, but we cannot yet say when power can be supplied." These are large consumers, such as large companies and shopping centers, not residential customers.
Huge demand for electricity
According to Tennet and Enexis, demand for capacity is currently overwhelming supply. The number of requests is increasing faster than networks can be built. For example, there is rapid growth in the number of solar parks in Groningen, Drenthe and Overijssel.
In Drenthe itself, the huge demand for electricity is striking. More and more companies are making their energy supplies electrically sustainable by, for example, installing e-boilers. This rapid growth is now leading to a bottleneck in Tennet's network in Zeijerveen and Assen. This is the connection station between the regional high-voltage grid and the national electricity highway.
Scarcity
"Around this point, power is starting to become very scarce," said Tennet head of grid planning Robert Kuik. Work is currently underway to expand this substation, but it will not be ready until 2025 or 2026. Around Meppel, meanwhile, the network also seems to be in trouble. Tennet plans to invest a total of 13 billion euros in strengthening the national network. This will include the construction of additional ramps and exits to the national electricity highways to better cope with the growing supply and demand from the regions. Nationwide solutions are also being looked at. The government, grid operators and interest groups have been holding talks on this since the summer. In December, Minister Jetten will present an action program.
Rush hour avoidance
Tennet itself is taking action by submitting a number of proposals today to the ACM, the energy market watchdog. One idea is to charge customers if they do not use the grid at peak times. At the end of this month, the grid operators will start a round through the market. Two months later it should be clear how much extra air this so-called "rush hour avoidance" can provide on the grid.
Of course, Kuik knows that this is only a temporary solution. That is why efforts are also being made to accelerate the strengthening of the regional network. Like the station at Zeijerveen mentioned earlier. "We expect to be able to place the first transformer as early as 2024. As a result, there will be more capacity from then on."
Other provinces
This issue has also previously played out in Brabant and Limburg. In June of this year, the high-voltage grid there was full. According to Omroep Brabant
Reinier Haga Group feud endangered LangeLand Hospital care
The Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) informed the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport late last month about the quarrel within the Renier Haga Group. This has lasted so long that the "contingency of care" was at stake. This applies in particular to the Zoetermeer LangeLand Hospital. This writes health minister Ernst Kuipers to the House of Representatives. In other words: the LangeLand Hospital was on the verge of collapse. In the Netherlands, the NZa receives a warning from health insurers if the 'continuity of care' was in danger. This is called an "early warning. The NZa goes to the ministry if nothing changes after such a warning. This system was instituted to prevent hospitals from going bankrupt overnight and patients from losing out. LangeLand Hospital's very shaky position is seen as a danger to healthcare in the Oct. 20 letter. At that time, the three hospitals within the Reinier Haga Group had been discussing splitting up the group for more than three years, but there was still no agreement.
Inspection was already following the situation
The quarrel within the group had also caught the attention of the Health Care and Youth Inspectorate (IGJ). At one point, the Supervisory Board had to explain several times a month that care was not endangered by the high-level discussions. The argument then was that arguments at the top can trickle down to the shop floor. That things were hardly going on in Zoetermeer became clear early in the summer when interim boss Pier Eringa decided to close the Emergency Department (ED) three days a week. That measure lasted several months. Insurers and banks have since backed the hospital group's divorce agreement.
Extra attention remains
Minister Kuipers writes to the House that this agreement removes the acute threat to healthcare. He is confident that the HagaZiekenhuis and LangeLand Hospital can survive together. Reinier de Graaf from Delft wants to leave the Reinier Haga Groep immediately. A case about this will be heard in the Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal on Thursday.
Kuipers writes in the letter to the House that the cooperation between Haga and LangeLand is "indispensable for the continuity of care in this region. A spokesman for the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport says that the situation will continue to be closely monitored until the group has truly broken up formally, or the entire process has moved into 'calmer waters'. Kuipers concludes his letter to the House with: "I expect that all those involved can now quickly take the final steps to ratify this agreement.
Accountability
In the unlikely event that this does not succeed, there is a possibility that the ministry itself will take control. All those involved will be called to account and reminded of their responsibilities. If they really can't work it out themselves, the ministry can also help them draw up a plan.
Eight people unwell due to release of toxic substance in Moerdijk
Eight people became unwell in Moerdijk in North Brabant due to the release of a toxic substance in the industrial area. This happened during work activities. One of the victims is seriously injured, said a spokesman for the Midden- en West-Brabant safety region. It involved employees of two companies at the site. They were taken to the hospital. Other personnel were taken care of elsewhere on the premises. They are employees of a company that specializes in tank cleaning, and a company that stores oils and chemicals, among other things. According to the safety region, the situation was quickly stabilized and there is no danger to the surrounding area. It is still unclear what caused the spill.
The Dutch need to be better prepared for a potential disaster. So says Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV), in an interview with the AD. A new campaign begins next Thursday. "The shock resistance of our society can go up. We have lost the preparation for disaster for a long time," Aalbersberg told the newspaper. "My generation still knows Minister Ter Horst's emergency package. That awareness and preparation has to come back."
New disaster campaign
On Dec. 1, a campaign will begin telling Dutch people how to get by without gas, water and power for the first 72 hours after a cyber attack or disaster. Tips for this can be accessed on the already existing site crisis.nl, developed by the NCTV. The last time there was such a campaign was in 2009. Then Interior Minister Guusje ter Horst launched the so-called Think Ahead campaign. Households were advised to have an emergency kit in the house with a wind-up radio, pocket knife and first-aid kit. Aalbersberg and his colleagues Erik Akerboom (AIVD) and Major General Jan Swillens (MIVD) also warn against naiveté in the AD article, a joint interview. Yesterday, the Dutch security services AIVD and MIVD and the NCTV already released a report on the threat from China and Russia, among others. The three services called the Netherlands "an attractive target for espionage activities." This is due in part to the presence of "underground physical energy pipelines," the "highly developed digital infrastructure" and the "high-quality knowledge of companies and institutions" in the Netherlands.
Russian spies
According to Swillens, the Dutch need to be able to make a translation to their own situation. "What does this threat mean for me now? I now work for a Chinese company, can I continue to work there? Or: I do business with countries I may not have a very good feeling about, is that possible?" The idea that an open economic system and economic dependence prevent war and strife has "changed violently," says Aalbersberg. "Russia wants to undermine stability, China wants to become the most powerful country in the world." Swillens: "If you look at cyber-China now: they are extremely capable, they want to steal knowledge here and they do. So all signals are red." In a response to the security services report, the cabinet said that dealing with threats from other countries needs to kick into high gear, "in light of the more unsettled and unstable geopolitical environment." Russian military intelligence has been known, for example, to set up front companies to circumvent sanctions and trade restrictions. Just earlier this year, 17 Russian spies were expelled from the country.
Crashed platform migration cause of Tax Phone outage
A crashed platform migration was the cause that the BelastingTelefoon, including Toeslagen, and the DouaneTelefoon were unavailable last Monday and Tuesday. This was stated by State Secretary of Finance Van Rij in a letter to the Lower House.
Last Friday, the migration of one of the generic platforms at the Belastingdienst was scheduled. "These kinds of major changes are planned over the weekend to avoid disruption as much as possible. Unfortunately, the planned migration got stuck halfway through, so it could not be completed over the weekend," the secretary of state said. Because the migration could not be completed over the weekend, several systems of the Tax Department, Surcharges and Customs faced disruption. For example, certain internal pages were not accessible or employees could not log into the internal systems. The technology needed for the Tax Phone and Customs Phone systems was also part of the migration, making those inaccessible as well.
Together with the supplier, we eventually managed to complete the migration. Yesterday there still appeared to be a technical problem with the forwarding of incoming call traffic. It was possible to call citizens back from the Tax Information Line and the Customs Information Line, and employees could log into systems again. Van Rij went on to say that it is still unclear what the exact cause and possible other consequences of the malfunction are.
Drenthe electricity grid is as good as full, no new connections
New companies and existing businesses that want to expand their operations in Drenthe cannot purchase power directly from the electricity grid for the time being. This is because the limits of what the high-voltage grid can handle have been reached, according to grid managers Tennet and Enexis. The supply of electricity is therefore coming under pressure, which also applies to a small part of the province of Overijssel. At the end of this month, an investigation into solutions to the resulting blockage will begin. During that process, the grid operators cannot make firm agreements with business customers about new or strengthening existing connections.
According to Daphne Verreth, director of Energy System and Transition at Enexis, this does not mean that the grid will be locked, but that as far as connections are concerned, the light will go to orange. "Customers can sign up, but we cannot yet say when power can be supplied." These are large consumers, such as large companies and shopping centers, not residential customers.
Huge demand for electricity
According to Tennet and Enexis, demand for capacity is currently overwhelming supply. The number of requests is increasing faster than networks can be built. For example, there is rapid growth in the number of solar parks in Groningen, Drenthe and Overijssel.
In Drenthe itself, the huge demand for electricity is striking. More and more companies are making their energy supplies electrically sustainable by, for example, installing e-boilers. This rapid growth is now leading to a bottleneck in Tennet's network in Zeijerveen and Assen. This is the connection station between the regional high-voltage grid and the national electricity highway.
Scarcity
"Around this point, power is starting to become very scarce," said Tennet head of grid planning Robert Kuik. Work is currently underway to expand this substation, but it will not be ready until 2025 or 2026. Around Meppel, meanwhile, the network also seems to be in trouble. Tennet plans to invest a total of 13 billion euros in strengthening the national network. This will include the construction of additional ramps and exits to the national electricity highways to better cope with the growing supply and demand from the regions. Nationwide solutions are also being looked at. The government, grid operators and interest groups have been holding talks on this since the summer. In December, Minister Jetten will present an action program.
Rush hour avoidance
Tennet itself is taking action by submitting a number of proposals today to the ACM, the energy market watchdog. One idea is to charge customers if they do not use the grid at peak times. At the end of this month, the grid operators will start a round through the market. Two months later it should be clear how much extra air this so-called "rush hour avoidance" can provide on the grid.
Of course, Kuik knows that this is only a temporary solution. That is why efforts are also being made to accelerate the strengthening of the regional network. Like the station at Zeijerveen mentioned earlier. "We expect to be able to place the first transformer as early as 2024. As a result, there will be more capacity from then on."
Other provinces
This issue has also previously played out in Brabant and Limburg. In June of this year, the high-voltage grid there was full. According to Omroep Brabant
Reinier Haga Group feud endangered LangeLand Hospital care
The Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) informed the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport late last month about the quarrel within the Renier Haga Group. This has lasted so long that the "contingency of care" was at stake. This applies in particular to the Zoetermeer LangeLand Hospital. This writes health minister Ernst Kuipers to the House of Representatives. In other words: the LangeLand Hospital was on the verge of collapse. In the Netherlands, the NZa receives a warning from health insurers if the 'continuity of care' was in danger. This is called an "early warning. The NZa goes to the ministry if nothing changes after such a warning. This system was instituted to prevent hospitals from going bankrupt overnight and patients from losing out. LangeLand Hospital's very shaky position is seen as a danger to healthcare in the Oct. 20 letter. At that time, the three hospitals within the Reinier Haga Group had been discussing splitting up the group for more than three years, but there was still no agreement.
Inspection was already following the situation
The quarrel within the group had also caught the attention of the Health Care and Youth Inspectorate (IGJ). At one point, the Supervisory Board had to explain several times a month that care was not endangered by the high-level discussions. The argument then was that arguments at the top can trickle down to the shop floor. That things were hardly going on in Zoetermeer became clear early in the summer when interim boss Pier Eringa decided to close the Emergency Department (ED) three days a week. That measure lasted several months. Insurers and banks have since backed the hospital group's divorce agreement.
Extra attention remains
Minister Kuipers writes to the House that this agreement removes the acute threat to healthcare. He is confident that the HagaZiekenhuis and LangeLand Hospital can survive together. Reinier de Graaf from Delft wants to leave the Reinier Haga Groep immediately. A case about this will be heard in the Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal on Thursday.
Kuipers writes in the letter to the House that the cooperation between Haga and LangeLand is "indispensable for the continuity of care in this region. A spokesman for the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport says that the situation will continue to be closely monitored until the group has truly broken up formally, or the entire process has moved into 'calmer waters'. Kuipers concludes his letter to the House with: "I expect that all those involved can now quickly take the final steps to ratify this agreement.
Accountability
In the unlikely event that this does not succeed, there is a possibility that the ministry itself will take control. All those involved will be called to account and reminded of their responsibilities. If they really can't work it out themselves, the ministry can also help them draw up a plan.
Eight people unwell due to release of toxic substance in Moerdijk
Eight people became unwell in Moerdijk in North Brabant due to the release of a toxic substance in the industrial area. This happened during work activities. One of the victims is seriously injured, said a spokesman for the Midden- en West-Brabant safety region. It involved employees of two companies at the site. They were taken to the hospital. Other personnel were taken care of elsewhere on the premises. They are employees of a company that specializes in tank cleaning, and a company that stores oils and chemicals, among other things. According to the safety region, the situation was quickly stabilized and there is no danger to the surrounding area. It is still unclear what caused the spill.
Translated from Dutch to English with Google translate