Public information provision about policy intentions: The Dutch and Belgian experience

This paper examines the manner in which governments should inform their citizens about policy not yet adopted by the competent authority (i.e., the legislature). This is an important but often neglected issue in theory and in practice. This paper focuses on the opportunities and dangers of the public information provisions about policy intentions and presents the relevant laws, principles, and practices in the Netherlands and Belgium. Based on a case study, the paper aims to illustrate the importance of complete, timely, and factual public information provisions in the formulation stage of policymaking. Some directions for further inquiry are suggested and some lessons from the Dutch and Belgian experience are presented. The information gathered is derived from literature, from government information regulations and guidelines, from analyses of government data reports, and from a survey.