The House of Representatives approved the new Archives Act on Feb. 18. The law has a greater focus on digitization and regulates the sustainable accessibility and archive management of government information. The VNG, IPO and the union of water boards jointly called for the adoption of the new Archives Act.
The law is an important framework for putting information management in order and public accountability to the resident in the longer term. The new Archives Act goes into effect in mid-2026.
To realize the ambitions of the new Archives Act and go beyond the statutory obligations, the VNG has indicated that it is essential to invest in implementation and innovation. This will require a joint innovation agenda to be drawn up and the government to compensate municipalities for getting their information management in order. In the parliamentary debate, the Minister of Education, Culture and Science indicated to enter into discussions with the co-governments about this.
The introduction of the new Archives Act not only involves financial consequences, but also has an impact on practical feasibility. In consultation with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the VNG will support municipalities in implementing the new law. Think of practical aids such as handbooks and knowledge tools but also information meetings where municipalities can share their questions and experiences. We organise this from the Grip op Informatie program.
Input from VNG, IPO and UvW Parliamentary Debate on the Archives Act.
