International partnerships

Rijkswaterstaat has participated in various European research programmes, underscoring our commitment to shared knowledge and cooperative development in the sector.

The 3 maps below on mobility, water, and environmental networks show a selection of these organisations.

International mobility networks

For the Netherlands, cooperation is essential for the effective management of our road and water transport system. European and global cooperation, in the form of knowledge exchange and acquisition, plays an important role in this.

The Dutch road and waterway networks are among the busiest in the world and require state-of-the-art traffic management and excellent information to ensure a safe and smooth flow of traffic.

Our transport networks are closely linked with those of neighbouring countries, forming an important trans-European multimodal transport corridor for people and goods. By working together, both within and beyond Europe, we are able to develop, adapt and maintain our transport networks to the highest standards. 

This ensures optimal connections and cross-border alignment of relevant standards.

The map below shows a clickable selection of our partnerships.

International water networks

National and international boundaries do not apply to water. For example, water from nine different countries flows down the Rhine into the North Sea. The complexity lies in the fact that the water is used in many different ways before it reaches the sea.

All these different interests compete and need to be balanced according to sound European river management principles throughout the river basin. To ensure effective river management, we work closely with other countries in our river basins, and further, as part of the North-East Atlantic, with those bordering the North Sea.

Explore our key international partnerships in the clickable map below.

International environmental networks

A good quality of life is based on a safe and habitable environment. Every day, Rijkswaterstaat works towards providing our country’s inhabitants with enough green space and clean water and drinking water. We do not do this on our own: in fact, we cannot do this on our own. Collaboration is essential. 

The growing challenges we face - such as climate change, lack of space and scarcity of resources - are global. This requires an international perspective.

By sharing knowledge and comparing practices across different international networks, we can seize opportunities as they arise. Whether this entails adapting roads to climate change, tackling soil pollution or moving towards circular and fair ICT products, we are strengthening international ties to improve the quality of life in the Netherlands.

The map below shows a clickable selection of our partnerships.

Office for European Programmes

The Rijkswaterstaat Office for European Programmes is a centre of expertise for European programmes established by Rijkswaterstaat in 2013 and located in Brussels. Its mission is to encourage, facilitate, and manage cooperation with our European and other international partners on research and innovation projects.