Minister Grapperhaus receives advisory report on ‘Making Surveillance and Security System Future-Proof’

In recent years, the cases in the surveillance and security system have become more complex, lengthy and extreme in terms of their size and severity. This has increased the pressure on the surveillance and security system. In addition, the horrific events in the recent period have shown that perpetrating extreme violence against those who are the pillars of our democratic institutions is no longer taboo in criminal networks. Protecting these people is a prerequisite for the functioning of the democratic rule of law and for the broad offensive against organised subversive crime. Therefore, as part of the broad offensive against organised crime, the government is investing in the reinforcement of the surveillance and security system.

Minister Grapperhaus of Justice and Security set up the Bos Committee to advise the government on the further reinforcement of the system. The Bos Committee was asked to assess the system and to make recommendations on how the system can be made future-proof. The Committee presented its report to the Minister yesterday.

The Bos Committee has made recommendations to make the system future-proof to ensure that it continues to stay on top of the current and future threats in an ever more complex society. Minister Grapperhaus agrees with the analysis and the broad outlines of the recommended solutions, and he will inform the House of Representatives about this in more detail during the debate on the budget for the Ministry of Justice and Security.

Given the severe pressure the system is under, Minister Grapperhaus has already started with setting up the proposed National Quadripartite Committee on Surveillance and Security. This National Quadripartite Coordinating Body will consist of the National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV), who will head it, and top-level representatives of the Public Prosecution Service, the National Police, and the Royal Military Constabulary. The National Quadripartite Coordinating Body will operate within the current legal system and with due observance of the existing duties and powers of and relationships of authority between the respective parties. The National Quadripartite Coordinating Body will be responsible for the functioning and reinforcement of the system. In addition, Minister Grapperhaus will, under the aegis of this Coordinating Body, immediately set up a temporary taskforce. In this taskforce, all parties involved with the system will work together – under the leadership of the NCTV – to give detailed follow-up to the recommendations and conclusions in the report.

The Bos Committee’s advisory report focuses not only on the surveillance and security system, but also asks the Dutch Safety Board (OVV) to review whether lessons can be learned from the security situation of the brother of the key witness in the Marengo trial, as well as the security situations of the then lawyer and the confidential adviser of this witness. It is foreseen that this review may also lead to conclusions and recommendations on the surveillance and security system. Once the Dutch Safety Board has completed its review, Minister Grapperhaus will discuss it with the House of Representatives.