Minister Agema's Shocking Answers to FVD's Questions About Secret NATO Commitments

Reply from Minister Agema (Health, Welfare and Sport), also on behalf of the Prime Minister (received 2 June 2025)

Question 1
Why can the briefings received by cabinet members about NATO obligations not be shared with Parliament “due to classification”?

Answer 1
 The classification level of these briefings means they could not be made public or shared with Parliament.

Question 2
What classification level were these presentations given, and why?

Answer 2
The classification level of the briefings was at least "Departmentally Confidential." The authors of the briefings (see answers 5 through 7) determine the classification, in accordance with the directive “Decree on Information Security Regulations for the Dutch Government – Special Information (VIRBI 2013).”

Question 3
 Who determines the classification? The government or NATO?

Answer 3
The authors of the briefings (see answers 5 through 7) determine the classification.

Question 4
Is the government able (or willing) to declassify the briefings at Parliament’s request? If not, why?

Answer 4
At the request of Parliament, the government initiated a declassification process for these briefings. The briefings are available in Appendices 2 and 3. No presentation was used during the information security session; therefore, none can be shared.

Question 5
Why were the briefings held at the Ministry of General Affairs? Is it correct that these briefings were given in the context of NATO obligations (Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs) by the AIVD (Ministry of the Interior) and the NCTV (Ministry of Justice)?

Question 6
Did the Ministry of General Affairs play a coordinating role? If so, why?

Question 7
Were the briefings perhaps initiated by the Ministry of General Affairs? If so, why?

Answers to Questions 5 through 7
The briefings were initiated by the Ministry of General Affairs as an introduction program for the new cabinet. They were therefore held, alongside cabinet meetings, at the Ministry of General Affairs. The briefings were prepared and given by the most relevant ministries.

As stated previously, the following security-related briefings took place:

• An international-themed session (organized by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence)
  
   
• A national crisis structure exercise (facilitated by the National Crisis Centre)
  
   
• An information security session (organized by the AIVD).
  
   

Various NATO obligations were discussed during parts of these briefings but were not the central theme.

Question 8
Did the Prime Minister himself initiate these briefings? If so, why? Was this perhaps at the request of his predecessor, former Prime Minister Rutte?

Answer 8
No.

Question 9
How many briefings (related to NATO obligations) have the ministers received in total?

Answer 9
The three briefings mentioned in the answers to questions 5, 6, and 7.

Question 10
Can Parliament receive a complete overview of all NATO-related briefings ministers have received since taking office, including which ministers were present, where the briefings were held, which agencies (e.g., AIVD or NCTV) delivered them, and their classification?

Answer 10
The briefings were initiated by the Ministry of General Affairs as part of the new cabinet's introduction program. They were held, alongside cabinet meetings, at the Ministry of General Affairs.

• On 9 July 2024, an information security session was held by the Director-General of the AIVD for ministers and state secretaries.
  
   
• On 16 July 2024, an international-themed session was held by officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence.
  
   
• On 16 July 2024, a national crisis structure exercise was conducted, facilitated by the head of the National Crisis Centre, attended by the Prime Minister, deputy prime ministers, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Kingdom Relations, Justice and Security, and Defence.
  
  These briefings were at least “Departmentally Confidential.”

Question 11
Do you recall your earlier statements, including during the plenary meeting on 24 October 2024, in which you repeatedly referred to “NATO obligations” to which we are “bound”? In an interview with Ongehoord Nederland, you also stated: “The former Prime Minister signed these agreements and we adhere to them.” However, in your written replies to Parliament, you state that these agreements are “not legally binding.” Isn’t that contradictory? Are these commitments binding or not?

Answer 11
This cabinet has committed to the agreements made; they are therefore politically binding.

Question 12
In response to question 9, you stated that the resilience objectives can be found in the “Vilnius Summit Communiqué.” Where exactly are these objectives stated in the communiqué? Can you provide them instead of a reference?

Question 13
Is it true, as journalist Eric van der Beek claims (based on a response he received from NATO), that these resilience objectives are not actually described in the Vilnius Summit Communiqué because they are “classified,” according to NATO?

Question 14
If not, why not, and why would NATO say so? Did NATO make a mistake?

Question 15
If NATO’s statement is correct, why did you refer to the Vilnius Summit Communiqué when these objectives cannot be in there because they are classified?

Answers to Questions 12 through 15
The fact that the Netherlands has committed to these objectives via NATO is reflected in the Vilnius Summit Communiqué. The NATO Resilience Objectives are laid out in a separate, non-public document.

Question 16
Can you provide a definition of “resilience” and give a few concrete examples?

Answer 16
In the parliamentary letter “Resilience against hybrid and military threats” sent on 6 December last year, resilience is defined as follows: a solid, resilient society can withstand shocks—regardless of what comes our way. It is a society in which government, public and private partners, civil society organizations, knowledge institutions, and citizens are as prepared as possible for societal disruption and have the ability to resist, absorb, and recover from it.

Question 17
You state that the Netherlands has committed to NATO-wide Resilience Objectives. Has Parliament also approved this?

Answer 17
 At the 2023 NATO summit in Vilnius, member states committed to implementing the Resilience Objectives. These are guidelines for member states, each of which is responsible for national implementation through domestic policy. The objectives were developed under coordination by the NCTV and further elaborated in the December parliamentary letter on resilience. The next step is the development of implementation plans. A second letter will follow later this year detailing the first concrete policies.

Question 18
 Why is the current government also committed to these resilience objectives? Why is it bound by a (non-legally binding) commitment made by a former prime minister who was voted out in the last election?

Answer 18
International cooperation is essential to counter threats from, among others, Russia, China, and Iran. The highest priority is credible deterrence and collective defense within NATO. NATO is an international alliance in which agreements are made and then translated into national commitments. The Resilience Objectives, together with the national Security Strategy and EU initiatives, form the framework for a resilient Dutch society. “A resilient democratic rule of law” is one of the main objectives in the Kingdom of the Netherlands' Security Strategy, elaborated in twelve action lines.

Question 19
You refer to “national goals” in this context. What are these national goals?

Answer 19
The Resilience Objectives have been integrated into the national resilience efforts as defined in the 6 December parliamentary letter. These respond to NATO agreements, as stated in the Vilnius Communiqué, to develop national goals.

Question 20
Will these goals be adjusted now that we seem to be moving, under Trump's leadership, toward peace with Russia? If not, why?

Answer 20
The goals are not currently being adjusted.

Question 21
You mention “implementation plans.” Can Parliament receive these plans?

Answer 21
Member states are free to choose the format of their implementation plans. The Resilience Objectives are being incorporated into the broader resilience policy under the leadership of the Ministers of Justice and Defence. Parliament will be informed about this in a forthcoming letter later this year.

Question 22
You state that the resilience policy spans various policy areas. Which are these? Can Parliament receive a list of all policy areas affected by the resilience policy?

Answer 22
The resilience policy is a government-wide effort. The relevant policy areas are listed in the 6 December parliamentary letter. The Ministers of Justice and Defence jointly coordinate the government-wide resilience policy. All ministries contribute from within their own policy responsibilities.

Question 23
Which ministers, besides yourself, are also bound by the NATO objectives?

Answer 23
 The Minister of Defence and the Minister of Justice and Security (J&V) indicate that, in addition to the Minister of Defence and the Minister of J&V, the ministers of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure and Water Management, Justice and Security, Climate and Green Growth, Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, and Health, Welfare and Sport are mainly involved in the NATO Resilience Objectives. The other departments are involved as necessary to achieve the objectives.

Question 24
Could you please answer these questions (at least) separately and preferably within the usual period of three weeks?

Answer 24
Where applicable, the questions have been answered separately. Due to similarities between some of the questions, the answers have been combined. My apologies that the response was not sent within the usual timeframe. The interdepartmental coordination took a significant amount of time.