The University of Twente ensures that documents and archives are managed properly, regardless of the format in which they are stored. This helps us comply with legal and regulatory requirements, protect the interests of staff, students, and other stakeholders, and ensure that important information remains accessible and usable in the future.
The Inspectorate for Government Information and Heritage oversees the management of our archives.
The Executive Board has established several policies and guidelines relating to archiving. These apply across the entire university. We help teams and departments put these policies into practice and apply them effectively within their day-to-day work.
How can we help?
- Translating archiving policies into practical solutions for your department
- Advising on the retention and management of documents
- Supporting compliance with archiving legislation and regulations
- Answering questions about information management and digital archives
New Archives Act 2026
The Archives Act 2026 comes into effect on January 1, 2027. The new law replaces the Archives Act of 1995, which no longer aligns sufficiently with today's digital practices. But what exactly is changing? And what does that mean for your daily work? We are happy to tell you more about it below.
What is the new Archives Act?
The new Archives Act is a base for good information management throughout the entire government. Good information management means that information is stored, retrieved, shared, preserved, and, if necessary, deleted in the right place.
The Act aligns with the digital reality and strengthens the implementation of the Open Government Act (Woo), the Cybersecurity Act, and the GDPR by aligning definitions and principles.
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Why is a new law replacing the current law?
The current Archives Act of 1995 dates from a time when information was primarily stored on paper. Nowadays, we work digitally, with emails, chats, and datasets. The new law aligns better with that practice.
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To whom does the Archives Act apply?
The Archives Act applies to all government organizations, including universities and university medical centers.
The new Archives Act affects you too. Everyone who works at UT creates, receives, or uses information and will therefore have to deal with the new rules.
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What are the differences between the old and the new Archives Act?
The main change is that the new Archives Act places much more emphasis on managing information properly from the moment it is created. Instead of organising and cleaning up information afterwards, organisations need to ensure from the start that information is captured, stored, and managed correctly. This applies to all types of information, including documents, emails, meeting notes, chat messages, and datasets.
The new law also requires organisations to decide at an early stage which information must be kept and which can be deleted after a certain period. This helps keep information reliable, accessible, and under control throughout its lifecycle.
In addition, the new Archives Act is better aligned with other legislation, such as the Open Government Act (Woo), the GDPR, and the Cybersecurity Act. As a result, requirements for information management, transparency, security, and privacy are more closely connected and support one another.
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Why is information management so important?
Good information management helps the university work efficiently, transparently, and responsibly. It ensures that information can be found quickly when needed and that decisions can be explained and justified.
This matters not only within the university, but also for students, staff, businesses, and other stakeholders who may need access to information about decisions that affect them.
Today, information is created everywhere: in documents, emails, chats, data, drawings, and many other digital formats. With so much information stored across different systems, clear agreements and well-organised processes are essential.
Well-organised information management helps keep information accessible, reliable, and secure. It is a key building block for effective governance and informed decision-making.
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Will this law affect my daily work?
Yes. The new Archives Act affects everyone working for the government, because everyone creates, receives, or uses information in their work.
Good information management is a shared responsibility of the university as an organisation, rather than of individual employees. At the same time, it does affect the way we work every day. For most colleagues, this will not mean major changes overnight. However, it does mean paying more attention to where information is stored, following agreements about retention periods, and using the systems designed for managing information.
By working in a consistent way, we make information easier to find, easier to manage, and better prepared for future use.
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What changes for my organisation?
Organisations must improve their information management. This includes, among other things, establishing and publishing clear management rules, the controlled and timely destruction of documents, and cleaning up systems based on established selection decisions (retention periods). We take digital sustainability into account right from the creation of a document, ensuring that information remains readable and usable even ten or twenty years from now.
💡 Did you know..?
Much information we use daily, such as emails and Teams chats, can fall under the Archives Act if it is part of a work process or decision-making.
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When will the new law take effect?
The new Archives Act has been published (the official text of the Act has been made public) and enters into force on 1 January 2027. The citation title is Archives Act 2026.
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How is UT preparing for 2027?
The UT is getting ready for the new Archives Act by improving its overview of how information and data are created, managed, and stored across the university. We are looking at which systems are used, where information is kept, and how long it should be retained.
This is an ongoing process that helps us work efficiently, make informed decisions, remain accountable, and preserve the university's history. One example is our long-standing focus on Archiving by Design. This means that when new systems are developed or implemented, requirements for storing, archiving, and deleting information are considered from the very start.
We will continue to share updates about our preparations for the new Archives Act. Want to learn more? Visit the website of the National Archives or contact the ADM team at archive@utwente.nl.
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Record management regulation UT
For archive management, various legal requirements apply. Within the University of Twente, the most important framework is the UT Record Management Regulation 2019. This regulation translates Dutch archival legislation and regulations into the university context and provides practical guidance for everyone involved in archive and document management.
Retain or dispose? : Retention schedule
Dutch universities use the Records Retention Schedule for Dutch Universities. This schedule helps determine which documents should be kept, how long they need to be retained, and when they can be securely disposed of. This ensures that the university complies with legal and regulatory requirements while keeping important information available for as long as needed.
Based on this retention schedule, LISA has developed practical guidelines for committees, committee chairs, faculty boards, and student associations. Do you have questions about the schedule or would you like to know what it means for your specific situation? Please contact one of our record managers.
Digitalisation
One of the final steps in digital working is going fully digital. With the Replacement Manual (Handboek Vervanging), the UT provides the possibility to replace paper documents with digital copies.
Interested in what this means for your department? We are happy to explain the manual and discuss the options with you. We work with you to determine how the requirements fit within your business processes and whether all conditions for records digitisation have been met.
Transferring archives
Paper and digital archives can be transferred to ADM when they are no longer needed for daily business operations. This may be the case, for example, when records are consulted infrequently or when a faculty body, committee, council, or organisational unit has been dissolved.
Although these records are no longer actively used, they remain important as evidence of decisions and activities and for future accountability. Before transfer, records must be complete, well organised, and accessible.
To support the transfer process, ADM has a transfer procedure in place. During a personal consultation, we will explain the process and discuss what is needed for your specific situation.
Preserving the UT website
The University of Twente's website is more than a communication platform. It is also part of the university's digital heritage. To support accountability, digital sustainability, and long-term preservation, the UT archives its website on a daily basis through a specialised web archiving partner.
The archive includes the main UT website and related subsites within the www.utwente.nl/* domain.
Explore the UT web archive:
👉 https://utwente.archiefweb.eu/
The archive allows you to view earlier versions of web pages and helps ensure that valuable digital information remains accessible over time.
Last edit: 22 September 2026