After the election of 1982 Braks was appointed again as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries in the Cabinet Lubbers I, taking office on 4 November 1982.

Braks served as acting Minister of Education and Sciences from 14 September 1989 until 7 November 1989 following the election of Wim Deetman as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Braks was nominated as President of the Senate following the retirement of Frits Korthals Altes, taking office on 2 October 2001.

In February 2003 Braks announced his retirement from national politics and that he wouldn't stand for the Senate election of 2003 and continued to serve until the end of the parliamentary term on 10 June 2003.

Braks retired after spending 26 years in national politics but remained active in the private sector and public sector and continued to occupy numerous seats as a corporate director and nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards (Rabobank, Campina, UTZ Certified, Enza Zaden, Vereniging Natuurmonumenten and the European Centre for Nature Conservation) and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government (Institute for Multiparty Democracy and Staatsbosbeheer).

[citation needed] The Spanish king made him Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Isabella the Catholic.