About us

Kenniscentrum Europa Decentraal was founded in 2002 by the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG), the Interprovinciaal Overleg (IPO) and the Dutch Water Authorities (UVW).

It is unique among providers of information on European law and policy because it specialises in issues relevant for local and regional authorities, providing information on European legislation, case law and the transposition into Dutch legislation.

Knowledge of the correct application of European law and policy is increasingly important. A substantial part of European legislation finds its way to the desks of regional and local government officials. However, it is often difficult for employees of municipalities, provinces and district water boards to find the right information on European law and policies. Therefore, the representative organisations of local and regional authorities in the Netherlands established Kenniscentrum Europa Decentraal in order to sufficiently provide them with the appropriate and relevant information on European policy.

What do we do?

Kenniscentrum Europa Decentraal keeps Dutch local and regional government employees informed about European issues, such as state aid, public procurement, the environment, digital policies, employment and social policy, mobility and the freedom of movement.

Website

Our website is an essential component of our service, providing a source of European news and useful information for employees of local and regional governments.

Helpdesk

Regional and local authorities can contact us through our helpdesk with questions about EU-related topics.

We distribute a weekly newsletter, the ‘Europese Ster‘, with the latest EU news, upcoming events and best practices.

Presentations and events

We organise events and give presentations to inform and advise employees of regional and local authorities about topics that are relevant to them.

How are we organised?

Kenniscentrum Europa Decentraal is the place of choice for Dutch local and regional government officials to address their questions on European issues. Besides its own in-house expertise, the centre can also rely on an extensive network of partners in science and government.

Kenniscentrum Europa Decentraal has an advisory council, which is made up of local and regional government officials. This council informs the centre about the consequences of European legislation in day-to-day practice. Furthermore, the council identifies which challenges government organisations encounter with regard to European policy. This helps us to adjust our service to their needs.

KED maintains a variety of formal and informal contacts with ministries, representatives of local and regional authorities in Brussels and other organisations working in the field. In short, Kenniscentrum Europa Decentraal is embedded in a network of expertise.

Contact

Kenniscentrum Europa Decentraal’s primary focus is on the employees of Dutch local and regional authorities. However, we highly value the exchange of expertise and best practices with our counterparts abroad. If you have any questions or would like to get in touch please feel free to contact us.