While the ties between the two countries are good, cooperation between the Netherlands and Germany needs to be greatly improved. This was stated by Günther Gülker, director of the German-Dutch Chamber of Commerce, on the eve of the visit of German Chancellor Scholz and part of his team of ministers to the Netherlands. “It would be nice if the two best economies in Europe presented a master plan.”
The Dutch and German cabinets will meet today in Rotterdam under the leadership of Prime Minister Rutte and Chancellor Scholz. Defence, foreign affairs and energy are important topics that will be discussed.
According to Gülker, the fact that both governments are merging is a sign that the ties are indeed good. “Not only is Germany important to the Netherlands, but also the other way around. The Netherlands is now Germany’s most important trading partner in Europe.’
But things can get better. ‘More cooperation is needed and needs to be strengthened. Especially in the field of energy transition, ”he says. In particular, according to Gülker, the“ cross-border infrastructure building ”proceeds“ too slowly ”.
And also in the technological field, cooperation needs to be improved, thinks Gülker. ‘We have a large European champion, ASML, which also collaborates a lot with German companies. But we need much more.’
‘We build a lot of wind turbines at sea. To bring that energy to Germany, we need pipelines, just like we need to transport hydrogen. The Delta Rhine Corridor (a public-private partnership for the construction of gas pipelines through the Netherlands and Germany, ed) is in the planning stage, but it would be a shame if it stopped at the border. As we have seen with the construction of the Betuwe railway line».
Urgency
With the urgent letter, the Chamber of Commerce above all wants to demonstrate the urgency of the issues. “During the pandemic, we have seen that things can be done much faster. We hope that governments will also recognize this. It would be nice if the two best economies in Europe come up with a master plan on how to accelerate the energy transition in the coming years,” says Gülker.
Source: BNR
Andrew Dwight is an author and economy journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He has a deep understanding of financial markets and a passion for analyzing economic trends and news. With a talent for breaking down complex economic concepts into easily understandable terms, Andrew has become a respected voice in the field of economics journalism.
