The state must take swift action to improve the air quality in the four main cities otherwise economic development will grind to a halt, the local authorities’ organisation VNG warned on Tuesday.

The warning was made on behalf of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht in an urgent memorandum to junior environment minister Joop Atsma.
The VNG says air quality in the Netherlands does not meet legal standards in some parts of the country and certainly not in the Randstad. Cooperation between state, provinces and councils is not having the desired effect.
The big cities have to meet legal standards in nitrogen dioxide before January 1 2015 but the task is much greater than expected, says the VNG.