Some 200 locations in the Netherlands were given a Blue Flag, an international environmental label for clean beaches and clean marinas. The flags were given to 143 harbors, 50 beaches, and seven inland beaches on Thursday. The flags were awarded in IJsselstein, where Utrecht King's Commissioner Hans Oosters handed them out.The initiative was implemented in the Netherlands in the late 1980s, and is meant to structurally involve governments, business owners, and outdoors enthusiasts in the goals related to clean and safe water, beautiful nature, and a healthy environment.
The border crossing to Belgium, the A67 near Eersel, is still closed due to protesting farmers, according to an ANWB spokesperson. However, the A16 at Hazeldonk is open again, the ANWB reported. Earlier, the Markiezaat junction (A4) had also been reopened. Belgian farmers have been blocking the border crossing since Thursday night in protest against the Green Deal and because they are dissatisfied with the European fertilizer regulations. Dutch farmers have also joined the protests.
The European Union designated the Utrecht region as the most economically competitive area in Europe. A delegation from Utrecht received the Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI) prize in Brussels on Monday afternoon, an award that is given once every three years. Utrecht beat out more than 230 other regions across Europe, including some in the Netherlands, to take the 2023 award, the EU judged. Last time, Utrecht shared second place with London, with both beaten by the greater Stockholm region. All Dutch regions scored relatively well this year.