Digital Agenda NL

Digital Agenda.
nl
ICT for innovation and economic growth
Digital Agenda.nl
Digital gateway to Europe

By continuing to advance as a breakthrough
technology ICT has become crucial to our
economy.
But to benefit freely form all possiblities ICT

has to offer, we need to set the right conditions.
For example, we need a fast, open and

trustworthy infrastructure, that meets the
highest demands.
This Digital Agenda.nl deals with these

and other matters.
Giving enterprises greater scope to work smarter
Standardisation Electronic Open data Conduct business EU Digital Cloud computing

Business File electronically Single Market
High-speed Knowledge that

and open works
infrastructure
High-speed Free and open E-skills ICT research

internet access internet
Digital safety and confidence
Safe E-privacy Safe online Clean computers

ICT products transactions
Contents
1 Introduction 4
2 Making it easier for enterprises to work smarter 9
2.1 Reducing the regulatory burden for enterprises 9
2.2 Right of enterprises to eGovernment services 11
2.3 Standardisation 12
2.4 Productivity and cloud computing 13
2.5 Growth and innovation with ‘open data’ as raw material 14
2.6 Creating more opportunities for enterprises in the European digital market 15
2.7 SMEs 16
2.8 An energy-efficient ICT sector 17
2.9 Smarter work with ICT in leading sectors 17
3 High-speed and open infrastructure 20
3.1 High-speed Internet access 20
3.2 Free and open internet 24
4 Digital security and trust 28
4.1 Protecting computers from botnets 29
4.2 Networks that are accessible 29
4.3 Safe ICT products 30
4.4 E-privacy 30
4.5 Consumers can perform online transactions safely 31
5 Knowledge that works 33
5.1 Sufficient employees with digital skills 33
5.2 Higher return on ICT research 35
6 Action list 38
Digital agenda.nl 3
1 Introduction
Faced with an ageing population and the need to compete in an open world economy, there
are three things the Netherlands can do: work harder, work longer and work smarter. This
Digital Agenda for the Netherlands focuses on that last option. How can we make smarter use
of ICT1 to generate growth and prosperity? It describes the basic conditions that need to be put in
place to accomplish it. Successful implementation of this agenda in the period 2011 - 2015
will provide a powerful boost for innovation and economic growth.
This agenda ties in with the European Digital Agenda2 , the letter to parliament setting out the
new industrial policy (Bedrijfslevenbrief)3 and the letter to parliament concerning measures to
reduce the regulatory burden for business4 . In the context of the government’s approach of
targeting leading sectors, this letter discusses a number of ways in which ICT could
strengthen the innovative capacity of those sectors. These ideas will be fleshed out and in the
coming weeks as part of the process outlined in the Bedrijslevenbrief.
By continuing to advance as a breakthrough technology …
The ICT sector is a fast-moving world. With new ‘generations’ of technology and applications
appearing all the time and the explosive growth of mobile communication, ICT is an integral
part of our working and private lives. Like the development of electricity before it, ICT is a
breakthrough technology and a driving force for innovation and the ensuing structural
changes in the economy and society. Some jobs and types of business are disappearing, while
new ones are emerging. This innovation will continue in the coming years, propelled by a
number of growth factors5:
> Over the last 40 years, the computing power of computers per unit of cost has doubled
every 18-24 months, and the end is not yet in sight.
> Digital devices are becoming cheaper and smaller and are connected by networks with
steadily increasing bandwidth. The result is ‘the internet of things’: internet connects
people but increasingly also objects (with sensors).
> The steadily expanding use of sensors in society generates a lot of data. Creative
businesses can reuse these data to develop new products and services.
> Cloud computing is an important development for innovation and economic growth in
Europe6. The emergence of cloud computing creates more opportunities for innovation
in business processes and allows enterprises to operate more flexibly, since information
is always accessible.
1 Information and communication technology (ICT) refers here to hardware, software and networks for electronic
communication and services and applications that use them.
2 European Commission, A digital agenda for Europe, 2010
3 Lower House of Parliament 2010-2011, 29515, no 327
5 Ministry of Economic Affairs, ICT2020_4 Scenario Stories. Hidden Assumptions and Future Challenges, 2010
6 European Commissioner, Towards a European Cloud Computing Strategy, World Economic Forum, 2011
Digital agenda.nl 4
A fundamental requirement is that ICT can continue to perform its role as a breakthrough
technology, which calls for a climate that fosters entrepreneurship, innovation and
competition.
…ICT creates opportunities for economic growth…
Since the 1990s ICT has made a major contribution to the growth of productivity in the
Netherlands and the country’s innovative capacity. Almost 60% of the country’s economic
growth in the period 1985-2005 can be attributed to the use of ICT: directly through
increased investment in ICT and indirectly through ICT’s contribution to increasing the
efficiency of production and distribution7. ICT is a driver of innovations in products, processes
and organisations in industry and the services sector. Organisational innovations, in
particular, have been found to generate higher productivity8 .
...provided urgent action is taken …
To reduce the regulatory burden on enterprises and increase labour productivity, ICT has to
be use on a wider scale. If information can be transmitted electronically, transaction costs will
be lowered and enterprises will be able to devote more time to actually doing business. There
have been a number of projects in which savings of at least 15% have been achieved in
administrative costs9 . The electronic exchange of information now needs to be scaled up to
realise savings across the board. Opportunities to increase labour productivity are not being
fully exploited because of the absence or insufficient use of standards and because of a
growing shortage of employees with the necessary professional digital skills.
Existing barriers to international trade on the internet must be removed. Consumers and
companies will then be able to profit from the economies of scale created by a single
European market. Removing these barriers could yield economic gains of as much as 4% of
GDP for the EU10.
The government agreement stresses the importance of a free and open internet on which
enterprises are able to compete and offer new services. This will increase consumer choice. At
the same time, the growing use of ICT is making us more dependent on it. Measures to
address threats to the security and safety of internet will prevent a lack of trust slowing the
take up of ICT and thus acting as a constraint on the pace of economic growth and
innovation11.
…to develop a new ICT agenda.
Enterprises and their customers are at the heart of efforts to increase the competitiveness of
the Netherlands. Enterprises will be given more scope to do business and innovate. Working
smarter with ICT will contribute to this. That is the first action line in the agenda, but its
success depends on the following aspects also being properly arranged: an open and
accessible high-speed infrastructure, which is trusted by users, and a population with the
digital skills needed to use ICT. These are the other action lines.
7 v Ark, O’Mahony, Timmer, The Productivity Gap between Europe and the United States, OECD Factbook 2009
8 M.Polder and G. van Leeuwen, De schakel tussen ICT en productiviteitsgroei, CBS Kennis & Economie 2009
9 Based on projects in the Slim Geregeld Goed Verbonden programme
10 European Policy Centre, Digital Single Market, 2010
11 Booz & Company, Digital Confidence. Sleutel tot de digitale groei van morgen, 2008
Digital agenda.nl 5
> Making it easier for enterprises to work smarter …
Enterprises that can use ICT to work smarter can operate more efficiently and achieve
growth. Working smarter can also help in achieving the aim of creating a government
that is small and effective. To grasp these opportunities, the government’s focus is
shifting from providing incentives and subsidies to issuing directions and setting
Electronic Standardisation
Business File
standards. Reducing the regulatory burden will enable enterprises to operate more
efficiently. To this end, the intention is to create an electronic business file (elektronische
ondernemingsdossier). Enterprises will enter the information requested by central and local
government in this file once and then authorise them to have access to the information
in the file. In other words, it will be a single entry, multiple use system. To achieve major
savings through electronic communication between government and enterprises, the
government wants to give enterprises the right to perform transactions with the
government online. In chains in which the government is not a partner, smarter working
could also yield efficiency gains if the same standards are used as those for performing
electronic transactions with the government. For its part, the government will adopt
Conduct business
electronically
existing market standards wherever possible. The government will review the basic
conditions required to exploit the potential of ‘cloud computing’ in allowing enterprises
to work more efficiently and for innovation.
Enterprises must not only be able to operate more efficiently, they need to grow. The
government therefore intends to release government data as a raw material for new
innovative services. Creative businesses will be able to process these open data, in the
same way that the weather forecasting website Buienradar uses data from the Royal
Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), for example. To profit from the potential
for growth in a single European digital market, existing barriers to international trade via
internet must disappear. The fragmentation of licensing procedures is an obstacle to
supplying creative content, such as music and films, online. The government supports the
European Commission’s proposal to simplify the procedures for copyright licensing. This
action line corresponds with action areas 2.1, 2.2 and 2.7 (e-Government) of the
European Digital Agenda.
> …on a high-speed and open infrastructure…

The Netherlands enjoys a strong position in terms of broadband coverage. However,
continued investment in networks is required to meet the growing demand. In this
agenda the government sets out its plans for the nationwide deployment of Next
Generation Access (NGA) networks, with special attention for rural areas. The basic
High-speed Free and open
internet access internet
principle is that rolling out broadband services is a task for the market. The government
will provide investment security and lower the thresholds for investment. To
accommodate the rapid growth of mobile internet, the government will bring forward
the auctioning of more mobile frequencies to 2012. The government also recognises the
importance of an open internet and effective competition in the infrastructure and
services markets, which it will safeguard, for example, by imposing a number of
obligations on companies with regard to transparency. Accordingly, suppliers of
applications and content will be assured of access to the network to supply their services
to consumers. This action line corresponds with action area 2.4 of the European Digital
Agenda.
Digital agenda.nl 6
> … that can be trusted …
Unreliable service and security threats, such as breaches of personal data security,
undermine the faith of users in ICT. This can slow the take-up of ICT, and hence the pace
of economic growth and innovation. The focus of government policy will shift from
information for end users to advice for service providers on how they can provide safe
Safe
ICT products
and reliable ICT services that can be used with confidence. An important element of this
approach will be to address the problem of the many infected PCs in the Netherlands,
so-called botnets. Suppliers will also be required to report breakdowns in networks and
disruptions to services and the breaches of personal data security. This action line
corresponds with action area 2.3 of the European Digital Agenda.
Safe online Clean computers
transactions
> … and with knowledge that works.

o keep pace with developments in ICT investment is required not only in technology, but
also in terms of organisation. Since ICT-driven organisational innovations make the
greatest contribution to the growth of productivity, more people are needed with the
skills (eSkills) required to apply ICT in practice within the company. Investments will be
E-Skills ICT research
made to preserve the existing quality of the ICT research infrastructure. This action line
corresponds with action area 2.6 of the European Digital Agenda.
This section has provided an outline of the agenda for the coming years. The plans will build
on a solid platform. For example, the Amsterdam Internet Exchange is one of the world’s
largest internet hubs and the Netherlands has a number of advanced research networks. The
head offices of various ICT companies and internet management organisations are
established here and the country has a strong creative sector. Increasingly, the Netherlands is
becoming the Digital Gateway to Europe, which opens up plenty of opportunities: 25% of
foreign investment in the Netherlands is related to ICT12 . The network of foreign missions
will lobby more actively to attract ICT-related investments and head offices to the
Netherlands between 2012 and 2015.
The action lines are explained in more detail below. Later this year a digital implementation
agenda will be published with details of some of the actions highlighted in chapter 6. Policies
will also be formulated for a number of related areas such as health care, education and the
government13 in line with the basic conditions outlined in this agenda. The government will
publish its reaction to the recent report of the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR)
entitled iOverheid (iGovernment) in the autumn of 2011.
12 Source: Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency

13 Later this year the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations will publish a letter on public service delivery by the government.
Digital agenda.nl 7
69 Scene 23
Door deze Digitale Agenda uit te voeren kunnen we
ons verder profileren als Digital Gateway to Europe.
En zo meer ICT bedrijven aantrekken.
70
2 Making it easier for

enterprises to work smarter
71 Daarom ga ik het buitenlandse postennetwerk
de komende vier jaar nog actiever inzetten om
Working smarter withinvesteringen
ICT-gerelateerde ICT creates efficiency gains and opportunities
en hoofdkantoren
naar Nederland te halen. Ik ben blij met de steun die
for growth for
hier enterprises
vandaag is uitgesproken.
Als gebruikers weten we allemaal:
ICT moet je doen.
Many enterprises regard the burden of complying with rules as a hindrance to doing business
72 increasing productivity. There is the information to be provided and the associated costs
and Dan gaan er nieuwe werelden open.
Dan krijgen we onze topsectoren in een nog hogere
relating to supervision and enforcement, licensing, the granting of subsidies and the filing of
versnelling.
tax returns. The regulatory burden could be substantially reduced if the flow of information
Dank u wel.
between the government and enterprises generated by these rules could be handled
electronically.
To73achieve greater efficiency, the electronic transmission of information needs to be scaled up,
since a few successful projects have little or no impact in relation to the potential efficiency
gains. This requires a standardised and cohesive range of digital government services,
eGovernment services. The government therefore wants to give enterprises a general right to
conduct transactions with the government online. There will also have to be agreements on
the standards to be used. The government will also explore the basic requirements needed to
enable enterprises to exploit the potential of17cloud computing for increasing the efficiency of
their operations.
Besides wanting to operate efficiently, enterprises want to grow. The government will create
scope for growth by providing its data to companies as raw material. Creative businesses will
be able to process these open data and use them to provide new, innovative services.
In addition, there is further scope for growth if enterprises and consumers can benefit from the
economies of scale of a digital single market in the EU, since the market is very fragmented at
the moment.
The six topics highlighted above will be discussed in more detail below. The chapter will
conclude by looking at the SME sector, sustainability and the ICT sector and the leading
sectors. This action line corresponds with sections 2.1, 2.2 and 2.7 (e-Government) of the
European Digital Agenda.
2.1 Reducing the regulatory burden for enterprises
Electronic information streams could yield the greatest reduction in the regulatory burden if, at
the same time, data transmission was simplified. The following principles will be adopted to
reduce the regulatory burden through the use of ICT:
Digital agenda.nl 9
computing om MKB’ers te helpen efficiënter en
flexibeler met ICT te werken, met behoud van
veiligheid en privacy.
40 Scene 12
En daarom presenteer ik vandaag ook het digitale
ondernemersplatform van Antwoord voor Bedrijven,
waar ondernemers relevante overheidsinformatie en
-diensten kunnen vinden.
Dit platform vormt
> information that de opmaat naarare
enterprises het required
uitgebreideto provide can be provided online;
Digitale Ondernemersplein dat we bezig zijn op te
> enterprises
zetten. will supply information to the government once or record it just once;
> the government will request information in a form that is compatible with the data and
processes of the enterprise;
41
> information about laws and rules will be up to date, easy to find and tailored to its target
group;
> all information from the government for enterprises will be available at a single location.
Simplified and once-only recording of information
42 Scene 13
At the Ten
moment enterprises
slotte komt regularly havevoor
er een ondernemingsdossier to supply information to various public authorities
ondernemers die veel met regels, inspecties en de
using processes that are incompatible. The government wants to simplify the exchange of
overheid te maken hebben. Te beginnen met
bedrijven in de transactions 14rubber- en
horeca, recreatie,
data for common . To this end, agreements would have to be made on system
kunststofindustrie. U kunt straks in uw online dossier
compatibility, data definitions
allerlei documentatie and
opslaan die the electronic
u nodig heeft in exchange of data. An additional step in
uw contacten met de overheid. U bent eigenaar van
simplifying the exchange
de informatie en bepaalt of
metdata
wie uisdie
that enterprises will only have to supply information once.
deelt.
The first step was taken with the creation of databases like the trade register. The next step
10
will be to allow information to be recorded only once in more complex data streams. That is
the purpose of the electronic business file, in which information entered once by an
enterprise can be used repeatedly by public authorities. Enterprises enter the information
requested for the purposes of licensing, notifications or supervision once in their digital file
and authorise public authorities to access it. The enterprise retains control over its own
information and is responsible for ensuring that it is complete and accurate. The
simplification of data exchange within a chain and the introduction of the electronic business
file could reduce the administrative costs for enterprises by at least 15%.
Actions
> Simplified data exchange: the government has opted for the international Standard
Business Reporting (SBR) standard for financial reporting15 . The Ministry of Economic
Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation (EL&I) will work with public and private partners to
strengthen, expand and accelerate this approach. The Tax and Customs
Administration, for example, will make it possible for all notifications relating to
corporation Tax (VpB) and income tax (IB) returns to be sent via SBR. This means that
by 2013 SBR can be used as the exclusive ‘system-to-system’ channel for the
corporation tax and income tax process.
> Single entry: starting in the fourth quarter of 2011, the Company File will be introduced
in the hospitality and recreation sectors and in the rubber and plastic industry.
Following an evaluation, a decision will be made on the extent to which the system will
be expanded during the period 2012 – 2014. The government will launch a study into
Electronic
Business File
the possibilities of introducing the electronic business file in leadings sectors such as
agrofood, horticulture and the creative industry.
14 For example, since 1 January 2011 all suppliers to central government have been able to submit their invoices electronically.
15 This covers, among other things, returns for sales tax, income tax and corporation tax to the Tax and Customs Administration
and the filing of annual financial statements with the Chamber of Commerce.
Digital agenda.nl 10
flexibeler met ICT te werken, met behoud van
veiligheid en privacy.
40 Scene 12
En daarom presenteer ik vandaag ook het digitale
ondernemersplatform van Antwoord voor Bedrijven,
waar ondernemers relevante overheidsinformatie en
-diensten kunnen vinden.
Dit platform vormt de opmaat naar het uitgebreide
Digitale Ondernemersplein dat we bezig zijn op te
zetten.
Tailored access to government information
Answers
41 for business (Antwoord voor Bedrijven) is a website set up by the Dutch government to
provide easy access to information about the laws, rules, licences and taxes that apply to
businesses. It is the government’s online helpdesk for enterprises. Answers for Business also
has a Service Desk,16 where enterprises operating in the Netherlands can enquire about how
rules are applied and can handle transactions, such as applying for licences. The Service Desk
commenced operation on 16 December 2009 and was evaluated after a year17 in accordance
with
42 the motion
Scene 13 from members of parliament Van der Ham and Elias18 . The evaluation
Ten slotte komt er een ondernemingsdossier voor
showed that enterprises
ondernemers foundinspecties
die veel met regels, the desk to be accessible and regarded it as among the best in
en de
overheid te maken hebben. Te beginnen met
Europe. Furthermore,
bedrijven in de horeca, it can berubber-
recreatie, usedenfree of charge. The technical aspects work as planned,
kunststofindustrie. U kunt straks in uw online dossier
but the service
allerlei desk isopslaan
documentatie only used to aheeft
die u nodig limited
in extent. To increase its use, it has been
uw contacten met de overheid. U bent eigenaar van
recommended
de informatie that the met
en bepaalt service desk
wie u die should be allowed to do more and that it should be
deelt.
publicised more widely among potential users. Starting in 2011, the desk will be expanded
into a business platform by adding services10for which there is a lot of demand. Enterprises will
then have access to a personal page with government information and details of transactions
of relevance for them. The businesses platform of Answers for Business is an important
building block for a digital Business Link (Ondernemersplein) that is being created for all
enterprises. It is important for it to closely match the needs of enterprises, to comply with the
Services Directive, to re-use existing building blocks and to ensure a good fit between the
digital and physical business links.
Actions
Information that matches the needs of enterprises:
> IFrom 2011 the Answers for Business service desk will be expanded into a business
platform, which will be an important building block for the digital Business Link. It will
give enterprises easier access to relevant government information and transactions.
> IIn consultation with the business sector and regulatory authorities, in the autumn of
2011 a strategy will be drawn up on how regulation assistance for enterprises can be
widely introduced, and what conditions will have to be met.
2.2 Right of enterprises to eGovernment services
The government intends to modify its policies and instruments to make it as easy as possible
for enterprises to conduct business electronically with public authorities. The focus will shift
from promoting developments and providing incentives to implementing and imposing
obligations. The government wants to give enterprises a general right to conduct business
Conduct business
electronically
with the government electronically, specifying which government services for businesses will
be provided digitally and the conditions under which eGovernment services will be
provided19 . Creating this right would not only streamline and expand the existing statutory
framework for eCommerce20, but also oblige public authorities to handle digital transactions.
16 The Service Desk is the Dutch version of the ‘point of single contact’ in the EU Services Directive. The purpose of the directive is
to make it easier to provide services in the internal European market. It was implemented in the Netherlands by the Services
Act (Act of 12 November 2009, Bulletin of Acts, Orders and Decrees 2009, no. 503).
17 PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Eindrapport Evaluatie Dienstenloket, 2011
18 Lower House of Parliament 2009 – 2010, 31 579, no. 13
19 This is in line with the recommendations in the Eindrapport Evaluatie Dienstenloket, PWC, 2011
20 As follows from the Services Act
A study will commence into the conditions under which a general right to conduct business
with the government online can be introduced21, but one thing that will be needed to
facilitate online transactions with the government is an authentication tool linked to
methods of authorisation. This can be provided by eRecognition (eHerkenning), which will be
rolled out widely in the coming years22 .
Actions
> Right to perform transactions online: the government wants to give enterprises the
right to conduct their business with the government online. A study of the possibilities
will commence shortly. The precise scope of this right and how it will be implemented,
including the financial models, will be made clear by the autumn of 2011. The findings
of the study will be incorporated in the digital implementation agenda.
> The broad roll-out of eRecognition: this started in 2011. The aim is for 80% of public
authorities that provide services to enterprises to be connected by 2014.
2.3 Standardisation
Organising electronic messaging via open standards promotes labour productivity23 .

Provided privacy and security issues are properly regulated, ICT standardisation and widely
supported agreements on it yield economic benefits in value chains and in data exchange
between enterprises and public authorities, something that is becoming increasingly
important to today’s network economy. To increase productivity, ICT standards will have to
Standardisation
be developed and widely used and reused. To prevent fragmentation, public authorities and
enterprises will have to make greater use of each other’s ICT standards and follow
international standards.
In addition to open technical ICT standards, it is also important to have adequate semantic
and organisational standards24 . The necessary widespread use and reuse of standards can be
achieved through agreements made in the existing Standardisation Board and
Standardisation Forum and by including open standards in the list of subjects where the
‘apply or explain’ principle applies for enterprises.
By analysing the economic impact of ICT standardisation in selected value chains, the leading
sectors approach can be reinforced. The government can play a facilitating role where
standardisation affects public interests (such as open access to important markets for ICT
applications and services, for example) by setting the right example, as with the introduction
of the IPv6 standard, which is needed to meet the growing demand for Internet addresses.
21 In relation to doing business with the government by electronic means, as a major manager and processor of information
about individuals or enterprises, the government must ensure that the information is treated with care. The WRR report on
iGovernment also refers to this. The government will publish a reaction to the WRR report in 2011.
22 eRecognition is the successor to DigiD for enterprises. eRecognition uses different levels of reliability and allows an
enterprise to grant authorisation to employees.
23 G.M.P. Swann, The Economics of Standardization, 2010
24 Semantic standardisation gives a uniform definition for terms used in work processes. Organisational standardisation involves
making agreements on the design of work processes and providing support for them with digital data exchange.
Actions
The Structuring the electronic communication market (Ordening elektronische
communicatiemarkt) programme will start in 2012. The subjects to be covered are:
> Preventing fragmentation: shaping the reuse of open ICT standards between the
government and business and coordinating national and international business-to-
business standardisation.
> Large-scale use:
– In addition to recognition of technical open ICT standards, the mandate of the
Standardisation Board and Standardisation Forum will be extended after 201125 to
include making agreements on semantic and organisational standardisation. The
composition and scope of the Board and the Forum will be revised to reflect the
results of the evaluation.
– The government will persist with the policy of open standards for the purchase and
use of ICT products and services by public bodies after 2011.
– Economic impact analyses will be performed for a number of leading sectors to
explore the significance of open ICT standards for value chains and the exchange of
data between enterprises and public authorities. The findings will be used to
determine which business-to-business standards can be reused for transactions
between enterprises and public authorities and which standards should be included
in the ‘apply or explain’ list.
> Safeguarding public interests: ICT standards will be promoted for open access to the
Internet and smart energy networks (smart grids). The government wants all Internet
pages and e-mail addresses of the central government and other public authorities to be
accessible using the Internet IPv6 standard no later than 2013. ICT standardisation for
the development of smart grids will be fleshed out in the Energy Report to be published
this year.
2.4 Productivity and cloud computing
Cloud computing is an important development that enables people to work more efficiently
and flexibly and which could promote the growth of productivity. The ‘Productivity and Cloud
Computing’ programme has been launched to exploit the potential of cloud computing, in
line with the proposal to produce a European Cloud Strategy. The aim of the programme is to
investigate the potential significance of cloud computing in terms of economic growth and
productivity in the coming years and to gain an understanding of the government’s role in
creating the preconditions for standardisation (through open standards), continuity of
service, security and privacy. The focus will be on the application of cloud computing by the
government itself and by SMEs. A programme council will be appointed, whose members will
include representatives from the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (for the
application of cloud computing in the public sector), the Ministry of Economic Affairs,
Agriculture and Innovation (with regard to creating the necessary preconditions) and
representatives from the business and academic communities. The committee will make use
of all the existing knowledge in the public and private sector26.
25 The mandate of the Standardisation Board and Standardisation Forum expires at the end of 2011. The performance of the
Board and Forum up to now and how they could effectively continue their work after 2011 is currently being evaluated.
26 Cloud computing is part of the government’s i-Strategy and the European Digital Agenda.
Action
Cloud computing: a two-year public-private programme entitled ‘Productivity and Cloud
Computing’ will start in 2012, addressing the potential of cloud computing and the
conditions that have to be created to achieve it. Further details of the programme will be set
out in the digital implementation agenda.
2.5 Growth and innovation with ‘open data’ as raw material
The government possesses a lot of data that could be reused by enterprises. Various studies
have shown that the innovation and business activity generated on the basis of open data
has considerable economic value27. Open data can be used as the raw material to develop
and market new applications and services. However, at the moment government data are
often not open, and consequently enterprises cannot use them, because, for example, they
cannot be found or cannot be read by all computers. The government wants to encourage
entrepreneurship by making as much of its own data as possible available using open
standards so that they can be further processed by businesses. Naturally, this does not extend
to security-related information, confidential business information or information that can be
traced to identifiable individuals.
Actions
An Open Data programme will start in mid-2011 with the following activities:
> Government data will be made available to enterprises: from mid-2011 the government
will encourage public bodies to provide data via the Open Data Portal28 according to the
principle of ‘open, unless’29 . In applying this principle, reasonable account will be taken
of the costs of converting public information to open data.
> Government data will be easy for companies to find: open data from the Open Data
Portal will be provided to companies via Answers for Business. In 2011, the Ministry of
Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation and the Ministry of the Interior and
Kingdom Relations will establish a platform in Answers for Business for applications that
make use of these open data.
> The use of government data will be actively promoted30: to improve the match between
the supply of government data and the demand, the two ministries will establish an
Open Data Centre of Expertise in 201231. This Centre of Expertise will match government
data to enterprises that could increase its value. Competitions will also be organised to
encourage developers of applications to find ways of translating government data into
applications32 .
These actions will be fleshed out in more detail in the digital implementation agenda.
27 TNO, Open overheid, 2011

28 Open data is defined as public data that can be found and read by any computer. The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom
Relations opened a beta version of the Open Data Portal at the beginning of 2011 at www.data.overheid.nl. The portal will be
officially launched in mid-2011.
29 The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations will publish a paper with its general views on open government data in the
middle of 2011. The vision document will address the issue from the perspective of the business community and the public..
30 This is an important recommendation in the TNO report, Open overheid, 2011
31 The centre of expertise is a temporary measure. Its activities will commence in 2011 and end no later than 2013.
32 Similar to events such as “an app in a day”, “apps for A’dam” and as announced in a letter about Cloud Strategy from the
Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.
2.6 Creating more opportunities for enterprises in the European digital market
A single internal market forms the basis for economic cooperation in Europe. Unfortunately,
the internal digital market is still fragmented. If barriers to cross-border trade are removed
consumers and companies can profit from the size of the European market. The government
feels that, in the European Digital Agenda, the European Commission has initiated the
appropriate actions to remove trade barriers. The government wants to make an active
contribution in the two areas described below.
Scope for creative enterprises and consumers
69 Scene
Creative 23
content that is available offline is often not legally available online. The government
Door deze Digitale Agenda uit te voeren kunnen we
feels that an adequate
ons verder profileren alssupply of legal
Digital Gateway content is the best response to illegal suppliers and
to Europe.
En zo meer ICT bedrijven aantrekken.
wants creative content that is available offline in the Netherlands and that can be delivered
electronically to be available legally in 2013. This will require the abolition of territorial
restrictions in copyright licences to allow for pan-European copyright licences, since
fragmented licensing currently forms an obstacle to creative enterprises that want to supply
70
content throughout the EU33 . The government therefore supports the proposal made in the
European Commission’s Digital Agenda. The government will also examine the policies
adopted by owners of rights in supplying their content to the online market, the licensing
terms they impose and whether they are willing to share the financial risk with innovative
companies that want to supply these products online. At national level, the findings will be
discussed at political level with a view to concluding agreements designed to increase and
71 Daarom
improve thegarange of new, legal
ik het buitenlandse business models, which the government wants to reach with
postennetwerk
de komende vier jaar nog actiever inzetten om
34
copyright owners, investeringen
ICT-gerelateerde en hoofdkantoren organisations and internet service providers .
collective management
naar Nederland te halen. Ik ben blij met de steun die
hier vandaag is uitgesproken.
Als gebruikers weten we allemaal:
In addition
ICT moetto
je removing
doen. the barriers to the online delivery of creative content, the
government feels that copyright law must be adapted to the requirements of the 21st century.
The rapid technological developments and the possibilities they create for consumers raise
questions
72 about the exhaustive list of exceptions in current copyright law. The government
Dan gaan er nieuwe werelden open.
Dan krijgenpress
will therefore we onzefor
topsectoren in een
a ‘fair use’ nog hogere that is primarily designed to promote the
exception
versnelling.
creative reuse of works for non-commercial purposes35 . The government also plans to
Dank u wel.
investigate the implications of the absence of a ‘fair use’ exception in the EU Copyright
Directive for commercial exploitation of protected works and the climate for innovation in
the Netherlands.
73
Actions
Remove barriers to the delivery of online content and innovation36:
> In 2011 the government will conduct perform research to discover why the legal
supply of digital content is lagging behind expectations and will consult market actors
on which barriers have to be removed;
> The government will conduct research
17 in 2011 to identify the consequences of the
absence of a ‘fair use’ exception in the Copyright Directive for the commercial
exploitation of protected works and innovation in the Netherlands.
33 For example, an online music store that wants to establish a pan-European service has to negotiate with a great many
copyright agencies in 27 different member states.
34 See priority 3 in the Speerpuntenbrief Auteursrecht 20©20 (Lower House of Parliament 2011 – 2012, 29838, no. 29)
35 See priority 4 in the Speerpuntenbrief Auteursrecht 20©20.
36 Besides the actions announced in the Speerpuntenbrief Auteursrecht 20©20 (i.e. support for EU plans for abandoned works
and cross-border copyright licences and the inclusion of a fair-use exception in the Copyright Directive for creative reuse for
non-commercial purposes).
Scope for cross-border eCommerce
Factors that hamper the expansion of cross-border eCommerce include a lack of trust,
doubts about the protection of personal data37 and the absence of systems capable of
establishing the identity of companies and their customers. This is an important reason why
92% of the people who order goods or services on the internet prefer to buy from a national
supplier than a seller in another country38 . There are already proven solutions for some of
these obstacles in the Netherlands. In consultation with private parties examples of good
practices in the Netherlands will be put forward in Europe.
Actions
Remove barriers to cross-border eCommerce by proposing examples of good practices in the
Netherlands for consideration in Europe, such as:
> the certificate of reliability for retail web stores, which will be submitted to a European
platform to be established to introduce online certificates of reliability in 2012;
> the Dutch system of agreements on eRecognition, which will be submitted for the review
of the Electronic Signatures Directive in 201239 . The Netherlands ensures that
commercial parties can play an important role in providing electronic identities for
companies. eRecognition will also be included in a planned European pilot project to test
the interoperability of electronic identities for legal entities.
2.7 SMEs
The SME sector is an important engine of the Dutch economy, accounting for almost half of
the gross added value and 54% of the employment generated in the country40. Special
attention to the position of SMEs is therefore warranted, as is also apparent in other sections
of this agenda. An evaluation of the Netherlands’ Digitaal in Verbinding41 programme has
shown that it is difficult for SMEs to establish a system of digital interchange within their
chain on their own, which is precisely where there are opportunities to operate more
efficiently. Every year the European Commission issues a tender under the ‘Competitiveness
and Innovation Framework Programme’ (CIP) to promote the take-up of cross-border
electronic data interchange in two sectors with large SME populations. SMEs in the leading
sectors will be encouraged to join this programme to take advantage of the opportunity to
establish electronic communication services in the chain.
Action
Participation by SMEs in European Electronic Data Interchange projects: experts will be hired,
in consultation with trade associations, to secure the involvement of Dutch SMEs in the
leading areas in European pilot projects on electronic data interchange, starting with the
automotive sector (leading sector High Tech) in 2011. The strategy will later be extended to
the logistics and agrofood sectors.
37 The government agreement states that greater priority will be given to the protection of personal data. In 2011 the Ministry of
Security and Justice will publish a separate letter setting out the government’s position on privacy, including a discussion of
the possibility of including privacy considerations at the design stage (‘privacy by design’).
38 European Commission, A digital agenda for Europe, 2010
39 This directive provides for mutual recognition of e-identification and e-authentication in the EU.
40 IM, Kleinschalig Ondernemen, 2009
41 Dialogic, Knelpunten bij digitale samenwerking, focus voor het programma NDiV, 2008
2.8 An energy-efficient ICT sector
The ICT sector accounts for 7.7% of total electricity consumption, With no change in policy,
and with the rapid growth in the use of ICT, that figure will rise by 75% between 2008 and
202042 . In Long-Term Agreements the ICT sector has committed itself to increasing energy
efficiency by 2% a year up to 2020. An evaluation in 2011 will explore how this approach can
be continued in the period 2020 – 2030 as well as how ICT can be used to improve energy
efficiency
14 Scenein
04other sectors. A website has also been launched to enable the ICT sector,
Ik ga regeldruk en bureaucratie aanpakken.
industrial
Zorgenusers of ICT,
voor meer research institutions and the government to share their knowledge43 .
durfkapitaal.
De fiscale aftrek voor innovatie via de WBSO
verruimen.
Action
A more energy-efficient ICT sector: in the context of the Long Term Agreements, a
preliminary study will be conducted in 2011 to investigate what measures are needed to
improve
15 energy efficiency by 50% in 2030 compared with 2005.
2.9 Smarter work with ICT in leading sectors
The new industrial policy stresses the importance of ICT as a source of innovation for leading
economic sectors. This agenda addresses a number of preconditions that are relevant for all
16 Daarnaast ga ik met ondernemers en onderzoekers
of thenegen
leading sectors.
topsectoren vanThese will be versterken,
onze economie highlighted as the plans for the leading sectors are
van energie en hightech tot agrofood en tuinbouw.
fleshed
ICTout.
looptThere are draad
als een rode also specific actions in sectors where an ICT policy is already being
door die negen
topsectoren en helpt de groei en innovatie in die
pursued. Some
sectoren of the policies that have been initiated are described below.
te versnellen.
Creative sector
One sector that uses ICT to innovate is the media sector: social media, mobile applications,
television and radio. Through digitisation and convergence in distribution networks, in
particular, this sector searches for and finds innovative ways of collecting, sharing,
aggregating and repackaging content. One example is the Dutch Media Hub, a public-private
partnership designed to position the Netherlands as a media hub in Europe44 . The intention
is to create a single centre where content can be stored, sold and distributed safely and
efficiently to countries in Europe45 , reflecting the concept of the Netherlands as the Digital
Gateway to Europe. A study will be started to explore economic opportunities in the (mobile)
creative industry.
Radio will be further digitised in the coming period. Consequently, the airwaves will be able to
carry more diverse radio stations and offer a wider range of innovative services. To make this
4 supply of both public and commercial radio
transition to digital radio a success, a balanced
stations will have to be made available for the consumer. Together with other stakeholders,
the government will search for synergy in joint, effective communication to consumers,
taking into account the added value of innovative services.
42 Tebodin, Energiemonitor 2008, 2009

43 www.ictgaatvoorgroen.nl
44 SMO, Nederland mediaknooppunt van Europa, 2011
45 Removing barrier to supplying online content is important for this, see section 2.6.
25 Scene 08
Bij aardappels denk je aan zware trekkers
en zware klei, niet aan ICT. Ten onrechte.
Agrofoodsector
Geo-information is becoming a critical production factor in the agrofood sector46. Access to

26
Want vandaag bent u als aardappelteler
geo-information, such as detailed information about the quality of soil and the growth of
een hightech ondernemer.
cropsTrekkers lijken steeds meer op robots.
in specific locations is important for securing the large-scale breakthrough of precision
agriculture. The government therefore wants to make geo-information available as open
data to allow applications to be developed for precision agriculture, which could reduce the
use of polluting substances and emissions of greenhouse gases, while saving fuel and
maintaining healthy yields. The free availability of geo-data would also create opportunities
27 Dankzij GPS ontvangt u op uw tractor
to develop further
informatie applications.
over waar u zich precies bevindt.
Logistics sector
A ‘National Single Window for Trade and Transport’ will be launched as soon as possible. This
will allow enterprises to supply information once for repeated use by various government
28
agencies, thereby increasing
De automatische the
stuurinrichting laatefficiency
de trekker of freight transport and, consequently,
in kaarsrechte banen rijden, zodat u niet twee keer
strengthening thegrond
hetzelfde stukje competitiveness of the Dutch logistics sector. This ‘Single Window’ will be
hetzelfde stukje grond
bewerkt.
an interdepartmental project and will be designed in consultation with the industry.
The ‘Lean and Green’ programme will be carried out at the cutting edge of the leading
sectors, Logistics and Energy. In this programme ICT will contribute to reducing CO2
29 U kunt in
emissions the
u op de logistics sector.
boordcomputer vanThe input of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and
de trekker
satellietdata ontvangen over de bodemgesteldheid
Innovation’s to the
en de conditie van programme
de gewassen. will be a study in 2011 into the potential for further reducing
CO2 emissions through the use of innovative logistics software in 2011. The study will
concentrate on standardisation and optimal reporting of current traffic information.
46 In 2011 the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation will produce a document setting out its views on the
importance of geo-information for economic and social innovation and for improving the formulation and implementation of
policies in the public sector.
3 High-speed and
open infrastructure
“We need very fast Internet for the economy to grow strongly.”
That is what the European Digital Agenda states. It goes on to set out the following targets
for broadband deployment in Europe by 2020: (1) all Europeans have access to broadband
with speeds of at least 30 Mbps and (2) 50% or more of households subscribe to Internet
connections with speeds of at least 100 Mbps. The Dutch government shares this ambition
for the Netherlands but does not regard it as its ultimate objective. More important is that by
2020, networks will match the demand from users and suppliers of services. As stated in the
government agreement, the current government will also promote a free and open internet.
This action line corresponds with action area 2.4 of the European Digital Agenda.
3.1 High-speed Internet access
This section sets out how the government intends to build on the strong position the
Netherlands currently enjoys with its broadband networks. It also provides a response to two
motions in which the Lower House of Parliament requested (1) a detailed plan for providing a
nationwide network for the next generation of access networks47 with (2) special attention
to rural areas48 . In response to the first motion, at the request of the then State Secretary for
High-speed
internet access
Economic Affairs, a Task Force on Next Generation Networks (NGN) published an advisory
report on the role that municipalities and provinces can play in rolling out NGN49 . This
section also contains the government’s reaction to that report.
The Netherlands is in a strong position …
The Netherlands is one of the global leaders when it comes to broadband coverage50, thanks
to competition in and between various networks. Access to high-speed broadband in the
Netherlands is already close to the European targets for 2020: 98% of Dutch households
already have access to broadband with a speed of 30 Mbps, and more than 90% have
connections with speeds of at least 100 Mbps. Given the national availability of satellite
(currently up to 4 Mbps), there is 100% coverage for functional Internet access. That is no
reason to relax, however.
47 Lower House of Parliament 2009-2010, 32 123 XIII, no.32 (motion by members of parliament Vendrik and Van der Ham).
The motion asked the government “to produce […] a detailed plan to provide the Netherlands national coverage for next
generation access networks in the next five to ten years and, in the intervening period, to identify and support an active role
for local and regional government.”’
48 Lower House of Parliament 2010-2011, 32 500 XIII, no. 85 (motion by Schaart et al.)
49 Lower House of Parliament 2009-2010, 26643, no.150 (Letter from the NGN Task Force to the State Secretary for Economic
Affairs)
50 OECD, Fixed (wired) broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, 2010
… which calls for further rapid growth.
The demand for bandwidth will continue its strong growth between now and 2020. The
original separate fixed networks for telephony (copper) and television (cable) have now
become competing networks through digitisation and the Internet protocol. This
convergence means that every application (television, telephony, internet) can be delivered
by multiple networks and new uses are being created from combinations of these
applications (such as video calling and watching television via Internet). A growing number of
consumers opt for a ‘triple play’ subscription combining Internet, telephony and television,
with television apparently an important factor in that choice. Competition encourages
network suppliers to invest in additional capacity in their networks to meet the growing
demand. Companies like UPC, Ziggo, KPN, as well as relative newcomers like Reggefiber and
CIF Bouwfonds, are modernising their access networks or are laying entirely new (optical
fibre) networks in more municipalities. Eurofiber concentrates mainly on laying new
networks for business parks.
The following figure shows that the growth in demand can be absorbed by various ‘fixed’
technologies. In that context, cable and optical fibre seem to be a better proposition in the
long term than a purely copper network. The large number of enterprises investing in
new-generation networks makes it a very dynamic market, but it remains to be seen whether
the existing competition between networks will continue or whether the investment required
will result in local monopolies.
Figure: Development of supply and demand for bandwidth in the Netherlands up to 202051
Note: The area in blue outlines the distribution in anticipated demand. For example, in 2010 the demand ranged from 2 Mbps to
100 Mbps. The white diagonal lines show that the average demand per household will grow by around 30-40% annually up to
2020. The horizontal lines show a bandwidth that is feasible for a large part of the population for each technology (FttH = optical
fibre, HFC Docsis = cable, xDSL = copper).
Source: TNO, Vraag en aanbod Next Generation Infrastructures 2010 – 2020, 2010.
51 For copper, the figure shows between brackets the distance from the customer to an active device at which the speed is
attainable. For cable, the figure between brackets gives the number of downstream channels that are bundled.
Mobile internet has recently taken off in the Netherlands. Since the introduction of the
iPhone in May 2008, mobile data traffic in the Netherlands has multiplied ten-fold. The
46 Scene 15of mobile broadband is still relatively low in the Netherlands at 21.3%52 , but its
penetration
Actielijnen 2 en 3 – betrouwbaar, snel en veilig
use isbreedband]
growing rapidly. New wireless technologies with large capacity and high bandwidths
are needed to accommodate the growing demand. In mobile communication, there will be a
transition in the coming years from ‘3G´ (such as UMTS, GPRS) to the faster ‘4G’ (such as
LTE).
Mobile
47 and fixed technologies complement one another. The fixed networks relieve the
Voor al die ICT-toepassingen heeft u wel een
strainbetrouwbaar,
on mobilesnel en veilig breedbandig
networks netwerkdata over long distances, while mobile
by transporting
nodig. Met vast breedband zijn wij koploper in
communication provides
Europa. Maar we flexibility
kunnen niet that a fixed line cannot offer. This growing
op onze lauweren
rusten.
interrelatedness is leading to hybrid networks that facilitate seamless communication
wherever the user is. Wireless broadband networks (both mobile and by satellite) are also
essential for coverage in places where fixed-line broadband is not profitable. That applies for
roughly 2%
48 Sinds de of households
introductie (100,000–150,000),
van de iPhone drie jaar mainly in thinly populated rural areas, which
do notgeleden is het mobiele dataverkeer in Nederland
yet have
vertienvoudigd.
Internet access of at least 30 Mbps. There is still scope for growth in those
areas up to 2020, however, mainly through faster satellite and mobile technology.
It is up to the market - the government will create the conditions
In the government’s view, it is mainly up to the market to invest in new-generation networks.

49
Door die explosieve groei hebben we de komende
The government will create the basic conditions required for an efficient market that
jaren nog veel meer mobiel breedband nodig.
Daarom veil
encourages ik volgend jaar
companies versneldin
to invest extra
infrastructure. The policy is based on the competition
frequenties.
between the
En stelt hetvarious networks
kabinet een and between
breedbandmonitor op om the suppliers of services over those networks. In
bij te houden of er genoeg breedband van
that context, it generatie
de nieuwste is important to allow new entrants to the market.
wordt aangelegd.
Because of the lengthy pay-back period of investments, it is important for the market to have
50
certainty about the rules and investments, which calls for the government to be circumspect
in establishing new rules. The existing flexible statutory framework enables the telecom
watchdog OPTA and the Dutch Competition Authority (NMa) to intervene where necessary.
The Telecommunication Act guarantees healthy competition on the infrastructure and allows
the industry regulator to impose obligations on the dominant network supplier if there is
insufficient competition. The Competition Act provides instruments to tackle abuse of a
12
dominant economic position or collusion. To respond adequately to the dynamism of the
market, OPTA regularly produces new analyses of specific market segments. At the end of
2011, OPTA will publish new analyses of developments in the market. To prevent these
periodic reviews from creating unnecessary uncertainty and affecting the willingness of
parties to make investments, in 2009 OPTA disclosed the criteria it applies in deciding to
impose obligations regarding access to new networks53 . The planned merger of the
regulators NMa, OPTA and the Consumers Authority will make supervision as coherent and
efficient as possible.
With regard to providing certainty concerning rules for investment in mobile networks, the
government has published the Mobile Communication Strategy Document [Strategische
Nota Mobiel] on its policy towards issuing frequencies for mobile suppliers54 . With this
52 TNO, Marktrapportage Elektronische Communicatie December 2010, 2010.

53 OPTA, Beleidsregels tariefregulering ODF-Access FttH. These rules implement the recommendation concerning NGA made in
the European Digital Agenda.
long-term vision, the government has provided mobile suppliers with certainty for their
investments and scope for business. To facilitate the growth of mobile Internet, in 2012 the
government will bring forward the auctioning of more frequencies and at the same time
allow new entrants into the market.
In the course of 2011, the European Commission will publish a position paper on a universal
service requirement for broadband access. The aim is to guarantee access to a basic speed (in
the order of several Mbps) and not using universal service as a means of achieving the
objective of giving everyone access to at least 30 Mbps in 2020. The government feels it is
important that everyone has access to the internet; however, it sees no reason to revise the
current universal service obligation in the Netherlands. Broadband connections are available
to everyone, although a small percentage of the population relies on wireless connections.
Next Generation Networks Task Force
The motion by members of parliament Vendrik and Van der Ham that was mentioned above
specifically asked for an assessment of the role that municipalities and provinces can play in
rolling out next-generation networks (NGN). The NGN Task Force has studied that question
and in 2010 published a document entitled Supersnel Breedband. Voor al uw bewoners en
bedrijven55 . The document provides step-by-step guide for provinces and municipalities on
how they can foster the roll-out of the new generation of networks. The government feels
that local government’s principal task is to create the right conditions, such as planning and
coordinating excavation work, shortening and reducing the costs of licensing procedures and
promoting the development and use of applications and services. The relevant regulatory
and statutory frameworks for local authorities are set out in the Ministry of Economic Affairs,
Agriculture and Innovation’s guide Goed op weg met breedband56. The European Commission
has established funds to finance public investments in broadband networks in remote areas
and is developing special financial instruments for broadband in association with the
European Investment Bank. With reference to the Schaart motion, the government will
publicise the European possibilities for financing and subsidies in updated versions of the
guide and the task force’s report. It should be noted, however, that local authorities are
bound by stringent conditions, for example with regard to state aid.
55 task
The Scene 18 identified a role for municipalities and provinces in promoting the use of
force
Daarom ben ik heel blij dat de wethouders van ICT
broadband services.
van de 32 By extension,
grootste steden theStedenlink
via de stichting task force has advised the minister to create a platform
mijn agenda onderschrijven!
in which municipalities and provinces can share ‘best practices’ and find solutions for
common problems relating to broadband. In consultation with the G32 municipalities, the
government decided to delegate the establishment of this platform to the municipalities
themselves. The G32 municipalities have established a foundation called City Link [Stichting
Stedenlink]
56 to organise and coordinate the platform’s activities and to act as an intermediary
En dat zij de komende maanden een werk-
in theprogramma
discussions
gaanbetween municipalities,
opstellen om de Stedelijke provinces and central government. Municipalities
Digitale Agenda met de Digitale Agenda.nl te
that are not members
verbinden. ofiedere
Mooi ook dat the G32 can join
gemeente City Link and participate in its activities. City Link
daarbij
kan aanhaken!
will draw up a working programme containing a list of specific activities and describing how
the members will collaborate. It will also establish a link between the Digital Cities Agenda of
the G32 municipalities and Digital Agenda.nl. The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture
and Innovation will provide City Link with substantive and practical assistance in
57 Scene 19
En dan nog een
implementing thewoord over veiligheid.
working programme.
Hoe meer we digitaal zaken doen,
hoe belangrijker die is.
55 www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/breedband
56 www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/breedband
58
Als ondernemer moet u erop kunnen vertrouwen
dat de infrastructuur veilig en betrouwbaar is.
The government is also adopting the NGN Task Force’s recommendation that it should
establish a system to properly monitor the development of broadband up to 2020.
Actions
> Investment security: The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation and
OPTA will constantly strive to find the right balance between incentives for competition
and innovation in their policies towards and supervision of fixed and mobile
infrastructure. To this end, in 2011 and 2012 the New Regulatory Framework will be
implemented and OPTA will publish new market analyses.
> Sufficient frequencies for mobile Internet: in 2012 additional frequencies will be
auctioned sooner than planned to accommodate the explosive growth of mobile
Internet, in accordance with the Strategische Nota Mobiel.
> Guide: The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation will update the
information in the guide Goed op weg met Breedband and the NGN Task Force’s guide for
local government in 2012.
> Knowledge sharing: in 2011 City Link and the G32 will establish a platform where
municipalities and provinces can share best practices and resolve common problems
relating to broadband. The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation will
facilitate it.
> Monitoring the development of broadband: in light of the ambitions for 2020, progress
with the roll-out of broadband networks will be followed in an annual Broadband Monitor.
The first monitor will be published in 2012.
3.2 Free and open internet
As provided for in the government agreement, the government will promote free and open
access to the internet. The current dynamism in the market means that parties are searching
for their role in the value chain. Horizontal and vertical integration could create new power
relations that could have consequences for openness. To preserve a free and open internet,
Free and open
internet
the government’s policy is to increase competition by giving competing suppliers access to
networks, thus allowing services that create value for the economy and society to be
provided on those networks and providing access to the information available on the
internet. Achieving these goals requires access to (1) the physical infrastructure, (2) network
connections and (3) the internet.
Access to physical infrastructure
Telecom companies and internet service providers (ISPs) must have access to the physical
infrastructure (cables, antenna masts) so that they can offer their services without having to
build their own network. This gives end users more choice. The Telecommunication Act gives
OPTA the power to compel parties with a dominant market position to open up their
networks to competitors for cost-oriented fees.
Access to network connections
Some suppliers of broadband services want affordable access to network connections in

order to establish a guaranteed, safe and fast connection with customers. The government is
keen to ensure that innovative and socially relevant services can be rolled out widely.
There appear to be various obstacles to this, particularly with regard to the organisation of
supply and demand and uncertainty about the business model57. The government will hold
talks with stakeholders to discuss how these obstacles can be removed and how the
government can help to accomplish that.
Access to internet (net neutrality)
Net neutrality relates to the differences in the ways that ISPs handle traffic over their
networks. The internet market is changing rapidly and commercial actors are looking for new
business models. In addition to subscriptions with no data limit (with ‘fair use’ provisions),
consumers are being given a steadily wider choice of subscriptions with various bandwidths.
But what consumers want is an assurance that the quality of their ISP connection matches
their use of the internet and corresponds with the terms of their subscription. The growth of
traffic also causes congestion, especially on mobile networks. How does an ISP cope with this
congestion? Are certain applications cut off? Will all services still be accessible if ISPs demand
money from suppliers of data-heavy services? Will consumers still be able to use the services
of their choice? Will vertically integrated companies still allow competing service providers on
their network? Or will Skype, say, be blocked because it eats into an ISP’s revenues?
It is the government’s view that every consumer must be able to gain access to all the
information on the internet and that service providers must be able to supply their services to
consumers via the internet. At the same time, the government feels that ISPs must be able to
manage internet traffic in such a way as to minimise any impact on the quality of service that
is caused by congestion on the network.
If end users are clear about the quality and speed of their connection and of any restrictions
on access to services, applications and content, they will be able to select the most suitable
supplier and subscription. If necessary, they can switch suppliers. That information will also
enable the ‘expert community’ on the internet and consumer organisations to warn of
problems58 . Because the government believes in the power of competition to meet the
wishes of consumers, in 2011 it will introduce obligations for ISPs and suppliers of terminal
equipment in accordance with the European New Regulatory Framework. Before selling a
subscription, ISPs and suppliers will be required to provide clear information about when
(under what conditions) they will treat specific types of traffic differently (such as blocking,
delaying or giving priority to particular traffic). An ISP will also have to explain what effect
traffic management measures will have on the quality of the service. If these measures to
increase transparency prove inadequate, the government will establish standards for the
quality of the service provided over the internet, taking into account the results of an
investigation to be conducted by the Body of European Regulators for Electronic
Communications (BEREC) in 201159 .
Pursuant to a motion adopted by the Lower House of Parliament,60 the government also
wants greater transparency from ISPs about the internet speeds that can realistically be
57 The NGN Task Force observes that it is difficult for broadband service providers to secure quality of service (QoS) connections.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation ordered an investigation into this: Openheid van vaste
IP-netwerken. Mogelijkheden en belemmeringen voor de ontwikkeling of nieuwe elektronische diensten, 2011
58 A small group of experts, along with media attention, impose discipline on the conduct of ISPs. See TILEC, Network Neutrality
and Transparency, 2010 and Dialogic, Netwerkneutraliteit: stand van zaken in Nederland, 2009
59 COM(2011) 222 final, The open internet and netneutrality in Europe
60 Lower House of Parliament 2009-2010, 27879, no. 30 (Motion by Aasted Madsen-Van Stiphout and Vos)
achieved. Consumers must know in advance what speed they can expect from the internet
connection they plan to buy. The relevant technical factors have been explored and talks are
underway with the sector on a system of self-regulation.61 At the same time, there will be the
possibility of compelling transparency about internet speeds through subordinate legislation:
if self-regulation proves inadequate, the government will impose an obligation on ISPs to
provide transparency about internet speeds.
Finally, existing policy is based on competition between different networks and the role that
ISPs play in an open internet. As outlined above, the market is changing rapidly. Besides
network suppliers, other parties in the chain play an increasingly decisive role in terms of
access to content and applications62 . The government intends to review where
developments could impair existing public interests or create new ones. It will then be
possible to study what this means for the role of the government. In 2011 and 2012 the
Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) will carry out a research programme
into the potential impact of developments in the field of ICT for safeguarding public interests.
Actions
> Access to physical infrastructure: OPTA will publish new market analyses in 2011 and
2012. Depending on the findings, OPTA will, if necessary, compel parties with a dominant
market position to open up their networks to competitors at cost-oriented rates.
> Access to network connections: in 2011 The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and
Innovation and market parties will investigate how obstacles to access to high-speed
broadband services can be removed.
> Access to internet (net neutrality): in 2011 ISPs and suppliers of terminal equipment will
be required to be transparent about traffic management (blocking, delaying or giving
priority to certain traffic flows on the internet). If necessary, further mandatory criteria for
the quality of internet connections will be introduced.
> Insight into realistic internet speed: in 2011 the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture
and Innovation will monitor progress with the self-regulation of ISPs in providing
consumers with clear information about realistic internet speeds. If sufficient progress
has not been made in this area, an obligation to provide transparency will be imposed.
61 TNO, Presentation at a workshop on transparency in internet speeds, October 2010

62 Such as Apple, with its terms and conditions for acceptance in the Appstore.
4 Digital security and trust
Consumers must be safe and secure when they connect online
The growing use of ICT is making us increasingly dependent on it, but confidence is
undermined by disruptions of networks and services and abuse of ICT, for example in the form
of botnets (a network of infected PCs), viruses or breaches of security with personal data.
A lack of confidence in ICT is bad for economic growth63:

> Greater public confidence in ICT could generate more than € 1 billion in additional
turnover from online trade in the Netherlands in 2014.
> Forty percent of Dutch companies say that they do not take advantage of opportunities
to increase productivity because they have no confidence in the security and reliability of
ICT, with the result that the potential for teleworking and automation of customer
contacts and data flows is not fully exploited.
In other words, reducing the risks could generate additional economic growth. The key here
is confidence in ICT. The guiding principle for the government is therefore that consumers
must be able to go online with legitimate confidence. The recent National Cyber Security
Strategy (NCSS)64 marked an important step in increasing confidence in ICT. The Digital
Agenda.nl builds on that strategy, with a focus on a safe and reliable ICT infrastructure and
safe online transactions.
The government wants to achieve this by sharing expertise and information and agreeing on
activities through existing public-private partnerships65 and the future Cyber Security Council
and Cyber Security Centre. Market parties will be expected to take step to keep their own
market safe. This action line corresponds with action area 2.3 of the European Digital Agenda.
4.1 Protecting computers from botnets
63 Ernst&Young, Groeien door veiligheid, 2011

64 Lower House of Parliament, session year 2010-2011, 26643, no. 174
65 Such as 1) Nationaal Continuïteitsoverleg Telecom (forum established by law in which the government and telecom service
providers make agreements to safeguard traffic, even in crisis periods); 2) Platform Internetveiligheid (a platform in which the
government, ISPs and other stakeholders in the internet chain monitor trends and translate them into initiatives to increase
internet security); 3) Informatieknooppunt Cybercrime (a forum in which the intelligence and security services and the business
community share information about threats from cybercrime and measures to combat them)
55 Scene 18
Daarom ben ik heel blij dat de wethouders van ICT
van de 32 grootste steden via de stichting Stedenlink
mijn agenda onderschrijven!
Botnets represent one of the most serious threats on the internet. Because botnets are used
for various criminal activities, they are sometimes referred to as ‘the Swiss army knife of
cybercrime’. Between 5% and 10% of Dutch internet users were infected by a botnet in 2009,
56
En dat zij de komende maanden een werk- 66
whichprogramma
represents
gaan450,000 to 900,000
opstellen om de Stedelijkeinfected PCs . One of the first priorities, therefore, is
Digitale Agenda met de Digitale Agenda.nl te
to combat these botnets, but because the damage caused by botnets affects various parties,
verbinden. Mooi ook dat iedere gemeente daarbij
kanfeels
no one aanhaken!
it is their responsibility to tackle the problem, and there are no economic
Clean computers
incentives to do so. That applies equally for ISPs, which could actually make a very significant
contribution to tackling botnets.
57 Scene 19
A firstEnstep in efforts
dan nog to over
een woord combat infection of customers by botnets, for example by publicising
veiligheid.
Hoe meer we digitaal zaken doen, 67
the problem, die is. with the signing of the anti-botnet agreement at the end of 2009 .
was taken
hoe belangrijker
However, the study referred to above found that ISPs confine their attention to computers in
their own networks that have been infected. It is expensive to try to establish contact with a
customer whose PC has been infected; consequently contact is only established with 10% of
customers with infected computers. That percentage must increase, given the scale of the
58
problem.
Als ondernemer moet u erop kunnen vertrouwen
dat de infrastructuur veilig en betrouwbaar is.
Further efforts will therefore be made to find a solution in the Internet Security Platform. The
solution must show which computers in an ISP’s network are infected and identify cost-
effective ways of helping customers to disinfect their PCs. One option might be for the ISPs to
establish a joint clearing house: a shared system for detecting botnets and disinfecting PCs.
ISPs
59 could use the
Dat betekent information
dat we from
onder meer de themoeten
botnets clearing house to help their customers clean up their
aanpakken, netwerken van besmette pc’s die worden
computers
gebruiktand
voor provide themofwith
creditcardfraude tools
andere to keep their computers protected. Given the
criminele
activiteiten. In ons land is mogelijk een op de tien
international dimension
pc’s besmet, of dat
meestal zonder theweproblem, experience in other countries, such as Australia and
het merken.
Mooi dat u vandaag al bent begonnen te kijken hoe
Germany, will also be reviewed.
we samen effectief botnets kunnen aanpakken.
Action
Tackling botnets: the sector will produce a solution
14 for a cost-effective method of combating
botnets. Agreements on its implementation will then be made in the Internet Security
Platform in 2012.
4.2 Networks that are accessible
With the growing economic and social importance of telecommunications networks, one
would expect the continuity of those networks to be adequately safeguarded. In the
large-business market this is done through Service Level Agreements between network
suppliers and large customers on the availability of networks and services. Some companies
and end users still depend on the efforts of the network provider to maintain the level of
service and to repair faults. Given the importance of continuity, more information is needed
about the vulnerability of networks and the methods used by the various providers to
guarantee continuity of service.
Actions
> Information about the availability of networks: in 2011 telecom service providers will be
66 TUDelft, Internet service providers and botnet mitigation. A fact-finding Study on the Dutch Market, 2011
67 The anti-agreement was signed in December 2009 by OPTA and the largest ISPs with the aim of reaching agreements to
improve efforts to combat the infection of computers.
obliged to report disruptions to service or loss of service to the Telecom Agency. Talks will
be held with network providers on a plan to establish a central website for reporting
faults in 2012 so that end users are also better informed about the vulnerability of
networks.
> Safeguarding continuity: in 2012 the National Telecommunication Continuity Forum will
draw up technical and organisational measures designed to guarantee continuity of
service. This will be done in conjunction with the European agency ENISA, which is
preparing an advisory report for the European Commission on a set of (harmonised)
standards and measures.
4.3 Safe ICT products
End users have a personal responsibility to use their ICT equipment safely. That means,
however, that the devices they use online must be safe. This is a task for suppliers of software
and hardware, which have a responsibility to sell ICT products and systems that are safe. The
government wants suppliers to explicitly include security aspects when discussing the sale of
systems with business users. The users must in turn be able to ask the right questions with
regard to security. The input from the Information Centre on Cybercrime, the CIO Platform
(users) and ICT-Office (suppliers) is important in this regard. This could result in agreements
Safe
ICT products
on a standard approach to regulating security during the implementation of systems.
Action
Safe products: The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation will hold talks
with ICT suppliers in 2011 about what they can do to increase the level of security of ICT
systems. One aspect to be addressed is the provision of specific information to users about
the security of the ICT products and services that are supplied.
4.4 E-privacy
Consciously or unconsciously, users complete forms and leave personal information behind
on the internet or have their surfing behaviour recorded. The use of social networking sites,
which contain a lot of personal information, has exploded. Although users still seem
relatively unconcerned about the digital footprint they leave, the risk of loss and abuse of
personal data is increasing.
An example of this is the use of cookies68 . This internet technology is convenient and has
improved service for end users. At the same time, the registration of personal data allows
suppliers to create profiles of visitors to their sites, which they can then sell to third parties
(advertising networks and commercial parties). End users are not clearly informed about this.
Concerns about the processing and distribution of personal data must not be allowed to lead
to stagnation of online trade and innovation. To create and maintain trust, the government
feels that companies must be transparent towards users and give them control over how the
data affecting their privacy are used. Users must be able to act in the knowledge that their
privacy will not be infringed. End users must therefore be informed if their surfing behaviour
is being monitored and how the information will be used. The confidential nature of
68 A cookie is information that is sent by the server to the browser and saved on the PC. During a subsequent visit this
information can be read and reused.
communication is addressed in the so-called ‘cookie provision’ in the amended ePrivacy
directive69 . Advertisers are obliged to provide information about the use of cookies and
request the end user’s permission for their use.
In addition to giving users control over the use of personal data, it is also important for
personal data that have been stored to be protected. Accordingly, a duty to notify users of
infringements of personal data will be introduced for telecom providers70. This duty is
intended to protect the privacy of the users and will give telecom providers an incentive to
tighten up their own policies and security measures.
Actions
> Insight into and control over personal data: a ‘cookie provision’ will be introduced in
2011, giving end users control over the use of their personal data. An attempt will be
made to strike a balance in the terms of the provision between the privacy of end users,
the economic interests of the market parties and convenience.
> Insight into infringement of personal data: a duty for telecom suppliers to notify users of
the loss of personal data will be introduced in 2011. OPTA will monitor compliance.
4.5 Consumers can perform online transactions safely
Dutch consumers perform relatively few online transactions compared with consumer in
other EU member states. That situation could improve if consumers were more certain of
their rights and obligations in online commerce and more knowledgeable about how to use
ICT safely. Programmes like Digivaardig Digibewust and campaigns like Veilig Internetten provide
users with information and tools to help them use the internet safely71. But information
alone is not enough. Consumer must also follow the advice they receive and consistently
safe online
transactions
implement security measures, such as software updates. Attention needs to shift more to
raising awareness among users, both business and consumer, about what they can do. Two
recent initiatives that fit in with that strategy are Bescherm uw onderneming by ICT~Office and
Digivaardig Digibewust’s Digibarometer, which provide users with a checklist and advice for
making a proper risk analysis and taking the appropriate security measures. In line with the
shift of emphasis from providing information to promoting the safe and conscious use of ICT
and online commerce in practice, the Digibewust part of the Digivaardig Digibewust programme
will be fleshed out into a public-private programme for safe eCommerce, incorporating
relevant aspects of actions described in this chapter.
Action
Safe eCommerce: The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation and ECP-EPN
will start a programme devoted to safe eCommerce in 2012 to support actions designed to
guarantee the safe use of ICT and increase knowledge about rights and obligations in online
transactions.
69 2009/136/EC (ePrivacy Directive)

70 The government announced in the government agreement that it will extend this duty of notification to all service of the
information society. The Ministry of Security and Justice will produce a bill to that effect.
71 See also campaigns by organisations such as the Consumers’ Association, the Netherlands Association of Banks and Surfnet
5 Knowledge that works
More growth and innovation with knowledge and skills
Employees need the knowledge and skills to use ICT effectively in order to generate
innovation and economic growth. There is, however, a threatened shortage of employees
with the necessary ICT skills (eSkills). It is also important to make better use of the results of
ICT research to develop innovative products and services. This action line corresponds with
action area 2.6 of the European Digital Agenda.
5.1 Sufficient employees with digital skills
ICT drives innovation in the processes, products and organisation of enterprises. The biggest
contribution to increased productivity comes from ICT-driven organisational innovations.
Achieving this growth depends on having sufficient employees with the digital skills to use
ICT. However, there is a risk of a growing shortage of precisely these types of skills72 . The
government has therefore asked the eSkills Task Force to investigate the scale of the
problem in the Netherlands and to make recommendations on how to overcome it73 .
The task force expects a serious shortage of eSkills in the Netherlands from 2015, both in the
ICT sector and in companies that use ICT. In a scenario of low economic growth the task
force anticipates a shortage of roughly 27,000 FTEs. In scenarios with more rapid growth,
the figure rises to around 43,000. The reason for this is the growing number of sectors that
use ICT and the dynamism of the ICT sector, which quickly causes knowledge to become
outdated. The task force also concluded that (1) there are too few people entering ICT
courses, (2) the education provided does not properly match the needs of the labour market,
and (3) there is a mismatch between supply and demand for ICT professionals, both in terms
of lack of transparency in the qualifications of employees and outdated knowledge and skills.
The government agrees with the findings of the task force and welcomes current initiatives
to address the shortage of eSkills74 . Taking these initiatives into account, and on the basis of
the task force’s advisory report, the government reviewed what additional policies are
needed. In the first place, there is a need to raise awareness of the growing skills shortage
and recognition of the importance of eSkills among companies, public authorities and
educational institutions. In this context, a clearer analysis will be made of the economic
significance of eSkills on the basis of existing studies. A second area of attention will be to
increase the numbers studying ICT and to improve the match between education and the
labour market. By treating eSkills as one of the specific domains in the leading sectors
approach, ICT can be included in future tenders in the Centres of Expertise (HBO) and the
Centres for Innovative Skills (MBO). Thirdly, to establish clear standards for eSkills and
72 Empirica, Supply and demand of e-Skills in the Netherlands, 2010; CBS, The Digitale Economie, 2009. This is not a problem
confined to the Netherlands; the European Commission also refers to it in its Digital Agenda, 2010.
73 Taskforce eSkills, Aanbevelingen om te voorkomen dat tekort aan e-skills de kenniseconomie smoort, 2011
74 (1) ICT businesses and ICT courses take action to increase the number of students in ICT courses and to improve the match
between the course and the labour market. ICT Office, the CIO Platform, Informaticakamer, Informatiekunde Platform
Nederland, HBO-I, ECABO, Kenniskring ICT and MBO-Raad have concluded the Markies Agreement to this effect. (2) Stichting
CIO Academy and CIO Platform will start Master’s programme to increase the professionalism of CIOs. (3) The Ministry of the
Interior and Kingdom Relations is trying to raise the professionalism of those responsible for managing large and risky ICT
projects for the government.
training, in consultation with the ICT sector, the CIO Platform, educational institutions and
the Ministry of the Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations, the European eCompetence
Framework will be adapted to the Dutch situation. The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom
Relations will adopt these standards as the point of departure when tendering for ICT
expertise for the government. Finally, to ensure that the measures taken correspond with
international developments the government will align policy proposals with the initiatives
launched by the European Commission to develop digital skills. In anticipation of the new
digital skills programme described later in this section, in 2011 the government will start
implementing the aspects of eSkills discussed above. To guarantee an integrated approach
with those initiatives, a temporary eSkills Advisory Council will be established to build on the
results of the eSkills Task Force. This will ensure that the conclusions of the task force are
incorporated in the ‘Digital Skills of the Working Population’ programme described below.
The aim of improving digital skills follows from the current public-private programme
Digivaardig Digibewust, which is being implemented by the ECP-EPN platform. Whereas eSkills
is concerned with skills for current and future business professionals, up to now Digivaardig
Digibewust has focused on the (simpler) ‘ICT user skills’ of individuals. The following skills
pyramid illustrates this distinction.
ICT
practitioner skills
eBusiness skills
eSkills
Strategic skills
Information skills
Formal skills
Digital literacy
ICT user skills
Operational skills
Note: Digital literacy refers to basic digital skills. ICT user skills are skills that every employee needs to perform his or her work.
eBusiness skills are those required by senior mangers who have to link the use of innovative ICT with business strategy and ICT
professionals (ICT practitioner skills).
Source: ECP-EPN on the basis of University of Twente and the European eSkills Forum)
Figure: ICT skills pyramid
An interim evaluation of Digivaardig Digibewust has shown that it is effective and enjoys wide support. One recommendation was to
tighten the programme’s focus. The programme will therefore continue as Digivaardig, with a focus on the ‘strategic skills’ of the
75
working population .
75 The sub-programme Digibewust will continue separately with a focus on safe e-Commerce (see section 4.5).
A broad public-private programme, Digitale Vaardigheden Beroepsbevolking, which will take
an integrated approach to the development of digital skills, will start in 201276. The principle
behind this general skills programme is that employers, educational institutions, the
government and employees share responsibility for improving the digital skills of the working
population. The programme is designed to improve the digital skills of the working
population, particularly in SMEs, the leading sectors and the central government. The
programme will encompass both the eSkills approach, including the temporary eSkills
Advisory Council, and the revised Digivaardig programme. A study will conducted in the
autumn of 2011 to explore whether the Stichting Lezen en Schrijven and the Ministry of
Education, Culture and Science’s Mediawijzer.net programme can be incorporated in this
general skills programme. Since those programmes are more concerned with the bottom
segment of the skills pyramid, all of the skills in the skills pyramid will be covered.
The following figure shows the desired structure of the programme.
Working population
Digital Skills of Working Population programme
Digivaardig eSkills
Stichting Lezen en Mediawijzer.net

Schrijven
Figure: Structure of Digital Skills of Working Population programme
Action
Sufficient employees with digital skills: a ‘Digital Skills Working Population’ programme will
start in 2012.
5.2 Higher return on ICT research
ICT-driven innovation is concerned with the use of ICT in other sectors (innovation with ICT)
and the development of ICT itself (innovation in ICT). The Dutch ICT sector is relatively
innovative77, but the capacity of other sectors to innovate with ICT is still lagging behind.
Wider valorisation of ICT research would create greater opportunities. It is particularly
ICT research
lucrative for leading sectors, because innovation in ICT cuts across sectors and the money
invested in ICT research then benefits more than one leading sector. The recent expansion of
the tax credit scheme for research and development (WBSO) has created additional
possibilities for innovation with ICT.
76 A distinction is made here between future and active employees and job seekers
77 In the Erasmus Concurrentie en Innovatie Monitor 2010 – 2011 (Erasmus University) companies in the ICT and business
service sectors are mentioned as ‘the model for innovation.’
19 as illustration
Intelligent sensor network Frambozenplanten zijn kwetsbaar,
of a cross-sector de
innovation
vruchten heel teer. Een van de moeilijkste
The growing scarcity of fossil fuels and theom
vruchten climate problem
te telen. Vroegercall for an
waren energy transition. Households will
fram-
bozentelers
increasingly generate energy locally afhankelijk
and become more van het efficient.
energy weer en hunThis transition calls for advanced
groene vingers. Maar vandaag bent u als
ICT for local energy generation with smart grids.een
frambozenteler Intelligent
hightechsensor networks
ondernemer. U in homes are needed to
werkt
regulate energy consumption and met sensortechnologie.
to maximise the comfort ofOm
thetehome
zorgen
with minimum use of energy.
dat de plantjes precies de juiste hoeveelheid
The same ICT infrastructure could be used to provide medical care in the home (eHealth). But sensors can
water krijgen op precies het juiste moment
also be used for ‘the new world of work’
in de andMet
groei. intelligent dike monitoring,
slimme technologie kunt ufor example. The challenge for
de planten beter laten groeien, veel water
researchers is to develop 20
reliable, intelligent sensor technology with minimal use of energy, smart and
besparen en, als u in kassen werkt, de helft
safe communication protocols and methods
minder of verbruiken.
energie processing Kortom,
the largeuvolumes
laat of data generated by
weinig meer over aan het toeval.
sensors. The Netherlands is strong in this field of research and there are many companies in the high-tech
sector that can produce these sensor networks.
In line with the approach set out in the Bedijvenbrief, the government will ways to enhance the
benefits
21 of new or existing ICT research for the leading sectors. The needs of the leading
sectors will be decisive. The research community (NWO) and business (ICT-Office) have
concluded an agreement to promote the effective and efficient use of ICT in the leading
sectors and the ICT Platform Nederland will coordinate the research at universities and other
institutions as part of the existing ICT innovation programme COMMIT, which is financed
from the Economic Structure Enhancing Fund (FES). TNO also conducts a lot of applied
research in the field of ICT that is driven by the needs of companies and the government.
This TNO research will be tailored more to the knowledge agendas of the leading sectors.
22
A high-class ICT research infrastructure (networks, supercomputer, grids and data) is crucial if
scientists and enterprises are to innovate. It also enhances the business climate. Earlier
investments have proved their worth by transforming the Netherlands into an important
internet hub, but more investment is needed to modernise the infrastructure. The
government will target new investments in the ICT research infrastructure at both innovation
in ICT and innovation with ICT. In its coordinating role, Stichting Surf will aim to create a
23
cohesive infrastructure that functions as a whole. This integrated ICT research infrastructure
is essential for supplying services via the ‘cloud’ while leaving researchers in full control of
such aspects as accessibility and security. Practically every field of scientific and technological
research, including the leading sectors, will profit from this. This could yield significant
benefits – both direct and indirect – for the Dutch knowledge-based economy78 .
78 NWO, Taskforce Financiering wetenschappelijke ICT infrastructuur, 2010;

Lower House of Parliament 2009-2010, 26643, no 147 (Government’s vision of supercomputing and supercomputers in the
Netherlands);
Lower House of Parliament 2008-2009, 26643, no 140 (Government’s reaction to the advisory report of ICTRegie on the ICT
infrastructure for scientific research in the Netherlands)
Examples of innovations that might be possible with a combination of an advanced network, a
supercomputer, large-scale data storage and eScience facilities
> Breast cancer research in the Netherlands is entirely digitised: a million x-rays are processed, sent and
stored electronically every year.
> Catalysts are developed for the chemical industry (e.g., for process technology and energy-efficient
materials) and the energy sector (for use in fuel cells and to reduce emissions).
> The Chemelot Research and Business Campus is located in Geleen in one of the largest chemical
industrial sites in Europe. Using remote operation of a great many specialised, expensive instruments,
spread around the world, materials are characterised and analysed.
> The advanced data-mining techniques that are important for business customer relations and the
refined software techniques that are necessary to design and manage the complex logistics of chains
and processes (from the NS timetable to Rotterdam port) arise from methods developed using
mathematics, eScience and supercomputers.
Action
Modernisation of the ICT research infrastructure: the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture
and Innovation will earmark € 7 million euro for this up to 2014. The Ministry of Education,
Culture and Science will report on the financing of the ICT research infrastructure in the
Strategic Agenda for higher education, research and science policy, which will be presented to
parliament at the end of June.
6 Action list
The preceding chapters have described the content of the Digital Agenda.nl and the reasons
for the planned measures. The following table contains a list of planned activities with a
timetable. The PRIMA budget will be used to implement this agenda (the costs of
implementing standards and applications will be paid for by the party concerned). Parliament
will be informed of the schedule for implementation and the precise financial details of the
actions marked with an * later this year in the digital implementation agenda.
Action line Element Action
Giving Reducing the regulatory Simplified and one-off recording of information
enterprises burden for the business

community
> SBR*: in 2013: a stimulus for widespread application by the Tax
and Customs Administration
greater scope > Electronic Business File*:
to work

– 2011: introduction in frontrunner sectors
– 2012-2014: expansion to other (leading)sectors
smarter Tailored access to government information
> Answers for Business: from 2011: expansion of Service Desk into
a business platform
> Regulation assistance: autumn 2011: strategy for its widespread
introduction
Right to conduct business > Right to conduct business electronically*: autumn 2011: clarity
electronically for enterprises about scope and implementation
> eRecognition*: from 2011 – 2014: roll out to 80% of public
authorities that provide services for enterprises
Standardisation In 2012: start of the ‘Structuring the electronic communication

market’ programme dedicated to*:
> Preventing fragmentation by designing a plan for the reuse of
standards by business and the government
> Large-scale use of standards by
– Expanding the tasks of the Standardisation Board and
Standardisation Forum
– Continuation of policy on open standards
– Economic impact analyses of reuse of business-to-business
standards
> Safeguarding public interests
– In 2013 the central government wants to be accessible via IPv6.
– ICT standardisation for smart grids (via Energy Report)
Productivity and cloud In 2012: start of the two-year Cloud Computing programme*
computing
Growth and innovation with In 2011: start of Open Data programme. Actions include*:
Open Data as raw material > Accessibility: in 2011: encourage public authorities to provide
data on the principle of ‘open, unless’
> Traceability: in 2011: open data provided via Anwers for
Business
> Use: in 2011: Open Data Centre of Expertise and promotion of
innovative applications
Creating more opportunities Scope for creative enterprises and consumers

for enterprises in European > In 2011: study into barriers to supplying legal digital content
digital market > In 2011: study into the consequences of absence of ‘fair use’
exception in Copyright Directive
Scope for safe cross-border eCommerce
> In 2012: submission of examples of good practices, such as
reliability certificate for retail web stores and eRecognition for
discussions in Europe
SME From 2011: participation of SMEs in European chain digitisation projects
An energy-efficient ICT sector In 2011: preliminary study into measures needed to increase energy
efficiency by 50% in 2030 compared with 2005
Smarter working with ICT in Creative sector

leading sectors > In 2011: broadcasting by existing radio stations on digital radio
platform
> From 2011: joint communication to consumers with
stakeholders
> Survey of economic opportunities for creative sector
Agrofoodsector
> From 2011: increase availability of open geo-information
Logistics sector
> As soon as possible: launch ‘National Single Window for Trade
and Transport’
> In 2011: contribute to ‘Lean & Green’ programme through
standardisation
High-speed High-speed access to internet > Investment security: finding the right balance between promoting
and open competition and innovation in implementation and supervision:

implementation of NRF and publication of market analyses by
infrastructure OPTA in 2011/2012
> Sufficient frequencies for mobile internet: auction of frequencies in
2012
> In 2012: updating of the guide ‘Goed op weg met Breedband’ and the
NGN Task Force’s guidelines
> Knowledge sharing: Launch of platform where municipalities and
provinces can share best practices and resolve problems in 2012
> From 2012: annual Broadband Monitor to follow progress with
the roll-out of broadband networks
A free and open internet > Access to physical infrastructure: guarantee open access to networks
of parties with dominant market position through Telecom Act
> Access to network connections: in 2011/2012: remove obstacles to
the high-grade broadband services
> Access to internet (net neutrality): in 2011: requirement of
transparency about traffic management. Further quality
standards will be made mandatory if necessary
> Insight into realistic internet speed: in 2011: monitor self-regulation
concerning realistic internet speeds. In the absence of sufficient
progress, transparency will be made obligatory
Digital safety Clean computers by combating In 2012: implementation of anti-botnet plan by Internet Safety
and botnets Platform
confidence
Networks that are available > Insight into availability of networks: in 2011 telecom providers
will be required to report faults; in 2012 there will be a website for
reporting faults
> Guaranteeing continuity of service: in 2012 measures to
guarantee continuity will be formulated with the Nationaal
Continuïteitsoverleg Telecommunicatie
Safe ICT products In 2011: consultation with ICT suppliers on ways of increasing safety
level of ICT systems
ePrivacy > In 2011: introduction of requirement to report loss of personal data
for telecom providers
> In 2011: introduction of a cookie provision allowing end users to
control the use of personal data
Consumers can perform In 2012: start of Safe eCommerce programme*, to promote the safe
online transactions safely use of ICT and increase knowledge of rights and obligations when
performing online transactions
Knowledge Sufficient employees with In 2012: start of the Digital Skills of the Working Population
that works digital skills programme*
Higher return from ICT 011- 2014: investment in modernisation of the ICT research
research infrastructure79
Digital From 2012 to 2015, the network of diplomatic missions will be
Gateway actively deployed to attract more ICT-related investments and head

offices to the Netherlands
to Europe
79 The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation will earmark € 7 million up to 2014. The Ministry of Education,
Culture and Science will address the issue of the financing of the ICT research infrastructure in the Strategic Agenda for higher
education, research and science policy.

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Digital Agenda.

Digital gateway to Europe

But to benefit freely form all possiblities ICT

For example, we need a fast, open and

This Digital Agenda.nl deals with these

Giving enterprises greater scope to work smarter

Standardisation Electronic Open data Conduct business EU Digital Cloud computing

High-speed Knowledge that

High-speed Free and open E-skills ICT research

Digital safety and confidence

Safe E-privacy Safe online Clean computers

2 Making it easier for enterprises to work smarter 9

2.1 Reducing the regulatory burden for enterprises 9

2.2 Right of enterprises to eGovernment services 11

2.4 Productivity and cloud computing 13

2.5 Growth and innovation with ‘open data’ as raw material 14

2.8 An energy-efficient ICT sector 17

2.9 Smarter work with ICT in leading sectors 17

3 High-speed and open infrastructure 20

3.1 High-speed Internet access 20

3.2 Free and open internet 24

4 Digital security and trust 28

4.1 Protecting computers from botnets 29

4.2 Networks that are accessible 29

4.3 Safe ICT products 30

4.5 Consumers can perform online transactions safely 31

5 Knowledge that works 33

5.1 Sufficient employees with digital skills 33

5.2 Higher return on ICT research 35

By continuing to advance as a breakthrough technology …

…ICT creates opportunities for economic growth…

...provided urgent action is taken …

…to develop a new ICT agenda.

> …on a high-speed and open infrastructure…

> … and with knowledge that works.

12 Source: Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency

2 Making it easier for

2.1 Reducing the regulatory burden for enterprises

Simplified and once-only recording of information

2.2 Right of enterprises to eGovernment services

Organising electronic messaging via open standards promotes labour productivity23 .

2.4 Productivity and cloud computing

2.5 Growth and innovation with ‘open data’ as raw material

27 TNO, Open overheid, 2011

Scope for creative enterprises and consumers

2.9 Smarter work with ICT in leading sectors

42 Tebodin, Energiemonitor 2008, 2009

Geo-information is becoming a critical production factor in the agrofood sector46. Access to

3.1 High-speed Internet access

The Netherlands is in a strong position …

It is up to the market - the government will create the conditions

In the government’s view, it is mainly up to the market to invest in new-generation networks.

52 TNO, Marktrapportage Elektronische Communicatie December 2010, 2010.

Next Generation Networks Task Force

3.2 Free and open internet

Access to physical infrastructure

Access to network connections

Some suppliers of broadband services want affordable access to network connections in

Access to internet (net neutrality)

61 TNO, Presentation at a workshop on transparency in internet speeds, October 2010

A lack of confidence in ICT is bad for economic growth63:

4.1 Protecting computers from botnets

63 Ernst&Young, Groeien door veiligheid, 2011

2 Making it easier for