Daily Dutch News in English

Serving the business world and diplomatic community since 1965

First Flight Above Iraq by Dutch F-16s

THE HAGUE, 06/10/14 – Dutch F-16s were for the first time fully prepared for deployment above Iraq on Monday. Whether that has already happened was not yet known by the afternoon.

The F-16s, stationed in Jordan, flew above the conflict area in Iraq for the first time on Sunday. In total, the jet aircraft carried out two flights, with two aircraft a time. No weapons were yet deployed.

Among other things, the Dutch F-16s tested their abilities for ‘close air support’ on Sunday. This involves aircraft supporting troops on the ground. Read More

PvdA Green Light Uncertain Even with Mandate for Syrian Intervention

THE HAGUE, 02/10/14 – Even if a clear mandate is achieved for military intervention in Syra, it is not certain that Labour (PvdA) will then give the green light for this, said MP Michiel Servaes Thursday in the Lower House debate on the mission in Iraq.

"Even with a clear mandate, you want to know where you will arrive,” said Servaes. He does not want the Assad regime to end up more securely in the saddle due to bombardment of ISIS, and questions whether the Islamic terrorist movement can be defeated without ground troops.

The cabinet announced last week that it will deploy six F-16s in Iraq and that Syria will only be supported on humanitarian grounds. The cabinet is against bombardment in Syria because there is no mandate for this under international law.

The conservatives (VVD) consider a resolution from the UN Security Council is no absolute necessity, MP Ten Broeke reiterated. "We must not leave our fate in the hands of a Russian or Chinese veto.” Read More

Netherlands Fails to Block EU Approval Stamp for Political Parties

THE HAGUE, 01/10/14 – The Netherlands has been outvoted in its opposition to checking in substance whether a political party can carry an EU stamp.

The EU Council of Ministers has voted in favour of two new regulations giving an official EU status and legal position to political parties and their academic bureaus. This gives them the right to EU subsidies among other things. Last year, this involved the sum of 33 million euros. Read More


Passports Withdrawn from 49 Jihadists

THE HAGUE, 01/10/14 – To date, 41 people have had their passports withdrawn to prevent them from travelling to the battle area in Syria or Iraq. Additionally, the passports of eight people already in the battle area have been withdrawn.

The passports of potential Jihad participants can be withdrawn because the security services have these persons in the picture, according to Security and Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten. This is sometimes done in half an hour’s time, among others by the Military Police at Schiphol, Opstelten said on broadcaster WNL (‘Awakened Netherlands’) on Sunday.

To date, some 140 people have travelled out to the Jihad. These include 40 women. The financial assets of 12 of the travellers have been frozen. These are people who are active there for a terrorist organisation, according to a spokesman. This can be ISIS but also a different group. Additionally, 30 benefit payments of Jihad participants have been halted. The minister expects all these numbers will still rise further. Read More

“Cracks Emerge in Cement Binding PvdA, VVD”

THE HAGUE, 03/10/14 – Due to the departure of Labour (PvdA) MP Mariëtte Hamer, tensions have arisen between the conservative (VVD) and PvdA coalition parties, De Volkskrant newspaper reported Friday.

Hamers has been nominated to chair the Socio-Economic Council (SER). Her place as PvdA spokesperson on labour relations will be taken by Roos Vermeij. The problem is that Vermeij's position as secretary of the PvdA MPs will be taken by Khadija Arib.

According to De Volkskrant, the VVD and PvdA had agreed that MP Attje Kuijken should succeed Vermeij. PvdA leader Diederik Samsom however said that in a vote among his MPs, the choice fell on Arib. “In the VVD, people are asking themselves: What will happen to the authority of the PvdA leader if such a thing can happen?” the paper reported. Read More

Highest Confidence in Housing Market Since 2004

THE HAGUE, 01/10/14 - Confidence in the housing market among home purchasers is still rising, concludes home-owners’ association Vereniging Eigen Huis (VEH) on the basis of its own research.

The Eigen Huis Market Indicator, which the lobby organisation developed in partnership with the University of Delft, stood at 100 last month compared with 98 in August. This makes September the 21st month in a row in which the indicator has risen. Read More

Tailor-made Old Folks’ Home for Homosexuals

THE HAGUE, 09/04/14 - An old folks home is opening in Amsterdam this week especially for the homosexual elderly. There is less and less understanding for them in regular care, according to Gay Care Amsterdam director Jan Nieuwenhuis.  Read More

‘Under-water Mortgages’ to Remain Risk for Banks for a Decade

THE HAGUE, 08/04/14 -  The Dutch central bank (DNB) is assuming that it will take at least another 10 years before a large portion of the mortgages that are currently ‘under water’ will be out of the danger zone again, the supervisory body writes in its semi-annual Financial Stability Review published Tuesday. Read More

National Programme for Robot Industry in the Pipeline

THE HAGUE, 04/04/14 - Following the example of Germany and Belgium, the Netherlands is also going to set up a national programme for further robot and automation applications in industry, according to a report that will be presented next week at the Hannover Messe (Fair). Read More

Former ABN Amro Banker Schmittmann Kills Himself

THE HAGUE, 07/04/14 -  Former ABN Amro executive Jan-Peter Schmittmann has apparently taken his own, his wife and his daughter’s life. Read More

Wilders Urges Voters to Report PvdA Leader Samsom

THE HAGUE, 03/04/14 - Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders has called on everyone to make a police report against Labour (PvdA) leader Diederik Samsom for discrimination against Moroccans. Read More

Coalition Divided on Wealth Tax

THE HAGUE, 02/04/14 - The government parties are divided over the wealth tax. Labour (PvdA) wants to raise this, but the conservatives (VVD) do not.

The matter will play out in The Hague in June. In that month, the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) will publish a study of inequality of wealth, its consequences and how the cabinet can deal with this. Read More

Criminalisation of Illegal Stay Dropped

THE HAGUE, 01/04/14 - Staying illegally in the Netherlands will not become a punishable offence after all, Labour (PvdA) and the conservatives (VVD) agreed Tuesday. Read More

Not yet a subscriber?

Get full access!

Poll: PVV Still Strong

THE HAGUE, 31/03/14 - The Party for Freedom (PVV) is still a big party. Following the loss of five seats last week, it has already gained back one seat again, according to pollster Maurice de Hond. Read More

Extra Cutbacks on Prisons in the Making

THE HAGUE, 27/03/14 - Justice State Secretary Fred Teeven is taking into account the possibility that he will have to make extra cutbacks on the prison system because fewer short and medium-term prison sentences are being imposed in the Netherlands. Read More

Release of Fortuyn Murderer on 2 May

THE HAGUE, 26/03/14 - Volkert van der Graaf, the murderer of Pim Fortuyn, is due to be released on 2 May, Justice State Secretary Fred Teeven announced Wednesday. Read More

Foreign Holdings Decline by 11 Billion Euros
THE HAGUE, 28/03/14 - The Dutch financial sector’s foreign holdings declined in the fourth quarter of 2013 by nearly 11 billion euros. This was wholly due to banks and insurers. Pension funds actually expanded foreign holdings, according to figures from the central bank (DNB). Read More

'Turkey Blackmailed Justice Leadership with Demmink'

THE HAGUE, 25/03/14 - Turkey has evidence that former justice ministry Secretary-General Joris Demmink abused children. This evidence was used to force through a life sentence for a Kurd in the Netherlands, says former top detective Klaas Langendoen. Read More

Netherlands, China Sign Contracts Worth 2 Billion Dollars
THE HAGUE, 24/03/14 -  During the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping, contracts worth over 2 billion dollars (about 1.5 billion euros) were signed with Dutch business, Foreign Trade Minister Lilianne Ploumen reported. Read More

Wilders Isolated, PVV Threatens to Fall Apart

THE HAGUE, 21/03/14 - Geert Wilders appears to have landed up in insurmountable isolation. Nobody still wants to work with him. And his Party for Freedom (PVV) appears to be falling apart. Read More

D66 Big Winner in Local Elections

THE HAGUE, 20/03/14 - Centre-left D66 has emerged as the big winner in Wednesday’s municipal council elections. It has become the biggest party in Amsterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. Rotterdam fell into the hands of local party Liveable Rotterdam. Read More

Exit Poll: PvdA Loses Amsterdam and Rotterdam

THE HAGUE, 19/03/14 - Labour (PvdA) suffered heavy blows in the local elections on Wednesday. The party is expected to have been dethroned both in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Read More

PvdA Locked in Conflict with Local Leader

THE HAGUE, 18/03/14 - Osman Suna, who had resigned as the Labour (PvdA) leader in Soest due to vote-rigging, has decided not to give up his post after all. He is now considering a court case against party leader Diederik Samsom, who he describes as a "despot." Read More

Foreign Minister Timmermans to Visit Cuba

THE HAGUE, 03/01/14 - Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans is to visit Cuba. He plans to “strengthen the ties” in a visit from Sunday through Tuesday, his ministry announced Thursday. Read More

Rutte: Wilders not Rightwing

THE HAGUE, 17/03/14 - The Party for Freedom (PVV) is no right-wing party. On some points, it is currently even more left-wing than the Socialist Party (SP), said Premier and conservative (VVD) leader Mark Rutte Monday in an interview with NU.nl.

"The left-wing bloc has got bigger, as the PVV has joined it. The party of Wilders has definitively left the right-wing camp,” said the VVD leader. "It is good to realise that if you want to vote for the right, you come to the VVD. If you look at the financial and economic programme of the PVV, this is very much left-wing.” Read More

Lower House Wants No Nuclear Weapon Role for JSF

THE HAGUE, 21/11/13 - The Lower House has adopted a motion stating that the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF/F-35) must not be allowed to drop nuclear weapons. Read More

'Bankruptcy Numbers to Stabilise in 2014’

THE HAGUE, 21/11/13 - After years of rising numbers, bankruptcies in the Netherlands will stabilise next year, credit insurer Atradius forecast Wednesday based on its own research. Read More

House: No Olympic Games in Countries Violating Human Rights

THE HAGUE, 19/11/13 - The Lower House wants it to be impossible for the Olympic Games to be held again in countries where human rights are violated. A majority has called on the cabinet to urge this at the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Read More

Supreme Court: No Dividend Exemption for Foreign Investors

THE HAGUE, 19/11/13 - The Supreme Court has ruled that foreign investment firms are not allowed to apply for repayment of dividend tax paid in the Netherlands. The country’s highest court has quashed a ruling by an appeal court in Den Bosch. Read More

Appeal Court: Hyperlinks Do Not Infringe Copyright

THE HAGUE, 20/11/13 - The linking forward by a website to another website on which protected material is made public is no copyright violation, an appeal court in Amsterdam ruled Tuesday. Read More

Netherlands Wants Smaller European Commission

THE HAGUE, 16/11/13 - Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans wants the European Commission to be smaller. The Netherlands is also starting an offensive for a charter on 'subsidiarity'. Read More

Brussels: Netherlands Reforming Too Slowly

THE HAGUE, 15/11/13 - The Netherlands is doing too little to strengthen its economy structurally. The changes on the housing market do not go far enough and the reform of the labour market is proceeding too slowly, the staff of the European Commission write in a working document. Read More

Senate Introduces Restrictions on Hiring Non-EU Employees

THE HAGUE, 14/11/13 - From 1 January 2014, it will be more difficult for employers in the Netherlands to hire employees from outside the EU. The Upper House has backed a proposed bill from Social Affairs Minister Lodewijk Asscher. Read More

Netherlands Orders Israeli Spy System ahead of Legal Change

THE HAGUE, 12/11/13 - The Dutch intelligence services have ordered systems to enable them to receive and process telephone and Internet traffic on a large scale, even though this is currently still illegal. Read More

Companies Allowed to Change Pension Conditions Post-retirement

THE HAGUE, 13/11/13 - Pension conditions can still be changed if people are already drawing their pensions, it emerges from a ruling by the Supreme Court. Read More

Minister Working on Special Visa for Foreign Start-ups

THE HAGUE, 09/11/13 -  Economic Affairs Minister Henk Kamp is to introduce a special visa for foreigners who want to start a business in the Netherlands. Read More

Returning Jihadists not Arrested but Helped

THE HAGUE, 08/11/13 - The Dutch Jihadist fighters who have to date returned from Syria have not been arrested and prosecuted but have been given a job or course and accommodation, TV programme EenVandaag reports. Read More

Limburg to Take Over Maastricht Airport

THE HAGUE, 07/11/13 - The province of Limburg wants to take over Maastricht Aachen Airport for a symbolic sum and arrange concessions for the operation of the airport. Read More

Assets no Longer to be Divided after Divorce

THE HAGUE, 06/11/13 -  In case of divorce, ex-spouses will in future no longer divide up savings, inheritance and debts. The conservatives (VVD), Labour (PvdA) and centre-left D66 want everything built up before the marriage to remain with the original owner. Read More

Schiphol Fastest-growing Airport in Europe

THE HAGUE, 06/11/13 -  Schiphol was the fastest-growing airport in Europe last year. With over 1 million extra passengers departing from Amsterdam, it overtook Madrid as the fourth largest airport within the EU. Read More

Economists Give Cabinet a Thumping Failure Mark

THE HAGUE, 05/11/13 -  Economists say virtually unanimously that the cabinet has fallen short of success in formulating sensible plans and also in carrying them out subsequently, according to a poll carried out by Het Financieele Dagblad newspaper among 13 leading Dutch economists. Read More

Biggest Number of Asylum-seekers since 2002

THE HAGUE, 02/11/13 - The number of asylum-seekers entering the Netherlands this year has not been so high since 2002. Read More

Rutte in Favour of 'EU Member State Contracts’

THE HAGUE, 02/11/13 - Premier Mark Rutte has told the Lower House that he is not opposed to ‘EU member state contracts’ giving the European Commission more influence on the policy of individual EU member states. Read More

Rapid Growth Forecast for Chinese Tourist Numbers

THE HAGUE, 01/11/13 -  By 2025, nearly 16 million foreign tourists are expected to visit the Netherlands, up 30 percent from last year’s 12.2 million foreign visitors, predicted the Netherlands Bureau for Tourism & Congresses (NBTC) Thursday in a report. Read More

Whistle-blower on Illegal Mosque Schools Sacked

THE HAGUE, 31/10/13 - The Rotterdam public servant who told journalists hat Mosques run illegal boarding schools has been fired by the city council with immediate effect. Read More

Cabinet Strengthens Coalition with D66, CU, SGP

THE HAGUE, 31/10/13 - The conservatives (VVD) and Labour (PvdA) want to continue to maintain close ties with the three opposition parties with which they concluded an accord on the budget for 2014. Read More

Housing Shortage Set to Double to 290,000

THE HAGUE, 30/10/13 - The number of building permits issues has landed up at a new low. And because the number of households is simultaneously growing, a big housing shortage is threatened. Read More

POLL: D66 MAKES GAINS

Top Judge: Unacceptable Waiting-lists for Criminal Cases

THE HAGUE, 29/10/13 - Thousands of criminal cases remain on the shelf due to lack of capacity. There is no time for cases such as rapes and assaults, says Leendert Verheij, president of the appeal court in The Hague, on RTL Nieuws. Read More

Thousands of Companies Threatened by Strict Environmental Rules

THE HAGUE, 26/10/13 - Government authorities are setting absurd environmental requirements within the framework of the Natura 2000 programme. In the province of Gelderland alone, the continued existence of 3,450 companies is under threat, says employer organisation VNO-NCW. Read More

Much Fewer Jobs to Disappear at Defence

THE HAGUE, 26/10/13 - Some 1,400 fewer jobs are to be axed at Defence than planned earlier. Instead of 2,400 jobs, just 1,000 are now to disappear, writes Defence Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert in a letter to parliament Friday. Read More

Netherlands Supports German NATO Plan

THE HAGUE, 25/10/13 - The Netherlands is supporting a German plan to give larger countries a leading role within NATO. Together with such a coordinator, other allies can for example develop a military project or buy tanker aircraft. Read More

Court Rules Preparing for Jihad is a Crime

THE HAGUE, 25/10/13 - A Rotterdam district court has convicted two men of making preparations to participate in the armed conflict in Syria. Read More

UN Criticism of Black Pete Unleashes Mass Protest among Dutch

THE HAGUE, 24/10/13 - The criticism of the Sinterklaas festival, with as its high point a UN plea for its abolition, has led to a mass people’s protest. Nobody can touch our Zwarte Piet (‘Black Pete’’), the message runs. Read More

UN Researcher Urges Abolition of Sinterklaas Festival

THE HAGUE,  23/10/13 - The head of the United Nations working party investigating the question of whether Black Piet (Zwarte Piet) is a racist concept considers that the Netherlands should completely abolish the Sinterklaas (Santa Claus) festival. Read More

Minister Sets Limits on Cosmetic Surgery

THE HAGUE, 22/10/13 - Health Minister Edith Schippers wants cosmetic surgery with no medical necessity to be banned for those aged below 18. Additionally, only authorised doctors will still be allowed to carry out certain aesthetic procedures. Read More

Lower House Annuls “Illegals Quota”

THE HAGUE,  19/10/13 - A large majority in the Lower House has asked the cabinet to abolish the ‘illegals quota’. This means that no targets can be set for the number of illegal aliens to be arrested. Read More

Islamic University Dean Supports Stoning

THE HAGUE,  18/10/13 - The rector of the Islamic University of Rotterdam (IUR) values stoning as an appropriate punishment, NRC Handelsblad newspaper reported Thursday. The Lower House is demanding clarification from Integration Minister Lodewijk Asscher. Read More

More Scope for Quiet Negotiations if Bankruptcy Threatens

THE HAGUE, 23/10/13 - The existing practice of appointing silent receivers in case of threatened bankruptcy is to be given a legal basis. Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten sent a proposed bill on approval for commentary Tuesday. Read More

Telecom Providers Required to Make Credits Transferrable

THE HAGUE, 18/10/13 - Telecom providers are required to offer subscriptions whereby clients can take phoning, sms and data credits with them to the following month, Economic Affairs Minister Henk Kamp said Thursday in a letter to parliament. Read More

Brussels Investigates Possible State Aid for NS

THE HAGUE, 17/10/13 - The European Commission is investigating whether the Netherlands provided state aid to Netherlands Rail (NS) in awarding it the contract for high-speed trains, a spokesman for the Commission has confirmed. Read More

Row with Russia Escalates

THE HAGUE, 17/10/13 -  The Netherlands has termed it “very serious” that the deputy Dutch ambassador in Moscow has been assaulted. This occurred in his residency on Tuesday night. Read More

Dutch Companies Strongly Defended against Predators

THE HAGUE, 16/10/13 -  Most big Dutch companies still have protective walls in place against foreign predators, it emerges from a study by De Volkskrant of the largest bourse-listed companies. Read More

State Loses Case on Vacation Days

THE HAGUE, 16/10/13 -  Two employees have won a court case against the Dutch state because they suffered damages via job disability in the building up of vacation days. An appeal court ruled Tuesday that the State was liable for the damages they suffered. Read More

Cabinet Encourages Dividend Uptake

THE HAGUE, 15/10/13 - The cabinet is luring large shareholder-directors to pay out more than 4.5 billion euros extra in dividends from their private companies (BVs). To this end, it is temporarily lowering the tax rate. Read More

Cabinet Relaxes Rules for Building in Garden

THE HAGUE, 15/10/13 - It will become easier for individuals and companies to build extensions to their home or office, build alongside or carry out other small building works at the back of a main building. Read More

IMF: Dutch Budget Deficit to 4.9 percent in 2016

THE HAGUE, 12/10/13 - The deficit on the Dutch budget will reach nearly five percent in 2016, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said. The Hague denies this however. Read More

Netherlands to Fly JSF in December

THE HAGUE, 11/10/13 - Dutch pilots are to start flying the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) or F-35 this year already, Defence Minister Jeanine Hennis has told the Lower House. Read More

"Financial Aid Goes to Palestinian Terrorists"

THE HAGUE, 12/10/13 - Questions will be raised in parliament over whether EU subsidies to the Palestine Authority go to terrorists. Read More

Housing Market Picks Up in Third Quarter

THE HAGUE, 11/10/13 - The dynamics on the housing market have revived in the third quarter. The number of housing sales was 10 percent above the second quarter. The prices declined by 0.6 percent, the Netherlands Association of Estate Agents (NVM) reported Thursday. Read More

Rutte forced Beatrix to Revise Anti-Wilders Speech

THE HAGUE, 10/10/13 - Premier Mark Rutte repeatedly amended the Christmas speech of Queen Beatrix in 2010 because it contained passages that were disagreeable about Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders, Trouw newspaper reported Wednesday. Read More

Dutch Debt to Come Down Regardless of EU

THE HAGUE, 10/10/13 - The Central Planning Bureau (CPB) has developed a method whereby estimates can be made on the development of a country’s state debt on the long term if there were no international frameworks to curb this. Read More

Companies Willing to Contribute to Costs of Consulates

THE HAGUE, 09/10/13 -  A majority in the Lower House wants to give business time to investigate how it can contribute to keeping five consulates-general scheduled for closure open after all. Read More

PvdA Councillor Steals EUR 40,000 from Homeless

THE HAGUE, 09/10/13 - Utrecht Labour (PvdA) council member Bert van der Roest has used tens of thousands of euros from a foundation for the homeless to line his own pockets. He resigned Tuesday with immediate effect. Read More

Victims’ Right to Speak in Court Cases Expanded

THE HAGUE, 08/10/13 - The right to speak of victims in court cases is to be expanded. They will in future be able to give their views on the guilt of the suspect, the evidence and what sentence should be imposed. Read More

Ban on Selling Pets to Children in the Offing

THE HAGUE, 08/10/13 - Economic Affairs State Secretary Sharon Dijksma wants to ban the sale of pets to children aged below 16 from next year. Read More

50Plus Leader Krol Resigns due to Fraud

THE HAGUE, 05/10/13 - The successful party for the elderly, 50 Plus, has lost its leader. Henk Krol resigned on Friday after a report in De Volkskrant newspaper that as a businessman, he took pension premiums from his personnel and put theim in his own pocket.  Read More

Minimum Wage for Flexi-Workers

THE HAGUE, 05/10/13 - Flexi-workers with a contractual agreement, like many postal delivery and newspaper delivery workers will have the right to the statutory minimum wage. A large majority in the Lower House will likely support a bill put forward by Social Affairs Minister Lodewijk Asscher.  Read More

CDA Ends Talks 
with Cabinet 
on 2014 Budget

THE HAGUE, 04/10/13 - The Christian democrats (CDA) on Thursday ended talks with the cabinet on alternatives to the 2014 budget. Read More

Residence-Work Permit Bill Sent to Parliament

THE HAGUE, 04/10/13 - The cabinet has sent the Single Residence and Work Permit Bill to the Lower House. The single permit (GVVA) will give foreign nationals who are not citizens of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland the right to live and work in the Netherlands for a period exceeding three months. Read More

Airline Ticket Tax Tabled in Budget Negotiations

THE HAGUE, 03/10/13 - To accede to the wishes of the opposition parties, the cabinet is prepared to change the budget for 2014 substantially. A flying tax may be introduced, sources in The Hague report. Read More

Fortuyn Murderer May be Released

THE HAGUE, 03/10/13 - There is a strong chance that the murderer of Pim Fortuyn will be released in a few weeks. State Secretary Fred Teeven will take a fresh decision on this next week. Read More

‘Pension Premiums to Climb 14 Percent in 2015'

THE HAGUE, 02/10/13 - Pension scheme participants will from 2015 pay 14 percent more in premiums for their pension provisions from 2015, according to calculations by pensions advisor Mercer. Read More

Human Rights Tulip to Continue to Exist

THE HAGUE, 02/10/13 - The Human Rights Tulip will continue to exist, but will be adapted. Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans is thereby acceding to the wishes of the Lower House. Read More

'Drop 24 Week Limit for Abortion’

THE HAGUE, 01/10/13 - Researchers at the Erasmus Medical Centre academic hospital in Rotterdam and AMC in Amsterdam have urged Health Minister Edith Schippers to drop the 24 week limit for abortion. Read More

Foreign Investments Doubled in First Half

THE HAGUE, 01/10/13 - Active lobbying by the government yielded 826 million euros of investments in the Dutch economy in the first half of the year. Together, these investments will create 4,332 extra jobs, Economic Affairs Minister Henk Kamp announced Monday. Read More

Court Bans Scientific Publications on Viruses

THE HAGUE, 28/09/13 - Scientists that carry out research into disease-carrying viruses and bacteria must in future apply for an export licence if they want to publish this in an international journal, according to a ruling by a Haarlem district court in a case about a much-discussed study of a deadly variant of bird flu. Read More

Netherlands to Help Bolivia with Lithium Batteries

THE HAGUE, 28/09/13 - The University of Delft and three Dutch companies are to help in Bolivia with the establishment of a company that makes lithium batteries, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Minister Lilianne Ploumen has announced. Read More

Cabinet Prepared to Revise Social Accord

THE HAGUE, 27/09/13 - Premier Mark Rutte is prepared to carry out more reform than agreed. But he fears that the unions will not want to cooperate, he said in the Lower House Thursday. Read More

Netherlands Selling F-16s to Jordan

THE HAGUE, 27/09/13 - The defence ministry is selling 15 F-16s and 52 Maferick ground-to-air missiles to Jordan. The two parties have reached an agreement in principle, Defence Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert has told the Lower House. Read More

VVD Open to Alternative Savings, PvdA under Fire

THE HAGUE, 26/09/13 - The conservatives (VVD) have held out a hand to the opposition. But Labour (PvdA) on Wednesday was much less open to changes in the cabinet’s budget for 2014.

The debate began with a fireworks display from Party for Freedom leader Geert Wilders. Read More

Slight Revival of Car Sales Forecast in 2014

THE HAGUE, 26/09/13 - The number of new cars sold in the Netherlands will pick up to around 415,000 units in 2014, predicts the auto sector specialist bureau Aumacon. For this year, it is projecting just 375,000 near private car sales. Read More

Local Authorities Fear Romanian, Bulgarian Influx

THE HAGUE, 25/09/13 - Local authorities and public representatives fear negative consequences from an influx of Bulgarian and Romanians, according to a survey by NU.nl. Read More

Opposition Unanimous in Calls for Less Cutbacks

THE HAGUE, 25/09/13 - Almost all opposition parties in the Lower House want to allow the budget deficit to rise next year by imposing less tax increases on balance than under the cabinet’s plans. Read More

De Hoop Scheffer to Chair Council on International Affairs

THE HAGUE, 24/09/13 - The cabinet has nominated Jaap de Hoop Scheffer as chairman of the Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV). The appointment will come into effect on 1 January 2014. Read More

Master’s Students to Escape New Loan System for Another Year

THE HAGUE, 24/09/13 - Education Minister Jet Bussemaker is probably going to have to accept another postponement of her plans to convert student grants to loans. Read More

Chinese, Russians Descend on Dutch Real Estate

THE HAGUE, 21/09/13 - Rich Chinese individuals have recently become active on the Dutch property market. Russian buyers are also on the march. Read More

Income Tax to Rise to 59 Percent for High Middle Incomes

THE HAGUE, 21/09/13 - The tax pressure for middle incomes will rise enormously in the coming years, according to the Christian democrats (CDA). Read More

VVD Wants New EU Treaty, Rutte Does Not

THE HAGUE, 20/09/13 - In the Lower House on Thursday, conservative (VVD) MPs urged a new EU treaty. But their leader, Premier Mark Rutte, responded negatively. Read More

'PvdA MPs Feel Ignored by Samsom on JSF Purchase'

THE HAGUE, 20/09/13 - A large number of Labour (PvdA) MPs feel they have been ignored by party leader Diederik Samsom with the cabinet decision to buy Joint Strike Fighters (JSF). The matter is being discussed internally on Friday, De Volkskrant newspaper reported. Read More

'Gypsy Gangs Underestimated'

THE HAGUE, 19/09/13 - The Dutch underestimate the danger of roaming gypsy gangs from eastern Europe. They are very professional, well-organized and trained criminals who steal to order, Utrecht criminologists say in weekly magazine Vrij Nederland. Read More

---

---

Government Continues to Grow despite Cuts

THE HAGUE, 19/09/13 - Despite record budget cuts, practically nothing of government expenditure has been reduced. Read More

Cabinet Opts for JSF

THE HAGUE, 18/09/13 - The Netherlands is to purchase a total of 37 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. Read More

Soft Drinks Dearer, Tobacco Prices Unchanged

THE HAGUE, 18/09/13 - The cabinet has partly reversed the planned excise duty increases on tobacco and alcohol. Soft drinks will however be more expensive. Read More

Employers Tax Increases Limited next Year

THE HAGUE, 17/09/13 - Due to the cabinet’s policy, taxes and premiums will rise by 8.5 billion euros next year. Of the total, companies will take 2.25 billion for their account. Consumers will have to swallow an increase in the burden of taxes and premiums of nearly 6 billion euros. Read More

PvdA Gunning for ‘no’ to Shale Gas

THE HAGUE, 17/09/13 - Everything is pointing towards Labour (PvdA) pronouncing a definitive ‘no’ to shale gas in the near future, according to a report in Monday’s Het Financieele Dagblad newspaper. Read More

Freezing Tax Brackets to Cost up to 112 Euros

AMSTERDAM, 14/09/13 - Employees will be 16 to 112 euros worse off next year on account of the cabinet freezing the tax brackets. Only the lowest incomes will remain unaffected, according to calculations based on the measure made by ING’s economic desk. Read More

US Army to Test TenCate anti-Mines System

ALMELO, 13/09/13 - TenCate has signed a multi-year agreement with the research and development programme of the US army for the testing and further development of its so-called ABDS system, the Dutch technical textiles producer announced Thursday. Read More

Govt Supplies Cannabis for Utrecht Psychotics

THE HAGUE, 12/09/13 - The health ministry's Medicinal Cannabis Bureau is to supply cannabis for a Utrecht experiment on the supply of hashish to people with psychiatric problems. Read More

'Re-Introduce Ethnicity as Education Subsidy Criteria’

THE HAGUE, 13/09/13 - The ethnic composition of the pupils should form the basis for the amount of subsidy that schools receive, advises the Education Council in recommendations presented to the Lower House on Thursday. Read More

Experts Warn of Paralysing AIVD

THE HAGUE, 12/09/13 - The cutbacks announced at the AIVD could result in the paralysis of the intelligence organisation, experts warned on Wednesday during hearings in the Lower House. Read More

Netherlands Keeps Hammering on Labour Immigration Downsides

THE HAGUE, 11/09/13 - The Dutch government is determined to go on with efforts in Europe to take action against negative consequences of labour immigration from Romania and Bulgaria. Read More

Former PVV Member Starts Islamic Party

THE HAGUE, 10/09/13 - Former Party for Freedom (PVV) politician Arnoud van Doorn is starting a political party based on 'Islamic standards and values,' he announced on Twitter. Read More

Dutch Drones Fall out of the Sky

THE HAGUE, 11/09/13 - Nine of the 75 Raven drones that the Netherlands possesses have crashed since January, TV programme Pownews has discovered. Read More

Dutch Consumer Spending Lags Way behind Neighbouring Countries

THE HAGUE, 10/09/13 - Consumer spending in the Netherlands has dropped way behind that in neighbouring countries since the outbreak of the economic crisis. Read More

Party Chairman: PvdA MPs Lack Ideological Knowledge

THE HAGUE, 07/09/13 - Labour (PvdA) representatives in the Lower House and on municipal councils should be better educated in social democratic ideology, suggests party chairman Hans Spekman in the regional newspapers of publisher Wegener. Read More

Netherlands Allowed to Levy Tax on Belgian Cars

THE HAGUE, 06/09/13 - The Netherlands is allowed to levy registration tax (BPM levy) on a car registered in Belgium if the vehicle is used regularly in the Netherlands, the Solicitor-General advised the European Court of Justice Thursday. Read More

No Change in Own Risk for Health Costs after All

THE HAGUE, 06/09/13 - The own risk (eigen risico) for healthcare costs is not to become income-dependent after all. At the same time, the conservatives (VVD) and Labour (PvdA) have decided to scrap the so-called levy discount (hefingskorting) for people who earn more than 55,991 euros per year. Read More

Defence to Sell off Biggest Navy Ship before It is Finished

THE HAGUE, 05/09/13 - The defence ministry has to find over 300 million euros of extra savings. The Dutch navy's biggest vessel, currently being built n Vlissingen will be sold before it is commissioned, Trouw newspaper reported Wednesday. Read More

Netherlands and India Plan Closer Cooperation

NEW DELHI, 05/09/13 - The Netherlands and India are to set up a joint commission to look at how the existing trade barriers can be removed, Foreign Trade Minister Lilianne Ploumen announced following a meeting with Indian Trade Minister Anand Sharma. Read More

Number of Children’s Schemes to be Cut to Four from 11

THE HAGUE, 04/09/13 - The cabinet wants to cut the number of schemes for parents with children sharply. Of the 11, just four will remain. On balance, this will save 800 million euros. Read More

Dutch Auto Sales Drop to New Low

THE HAGUE, 04/09/13 - Sales of new cars in the Netherlands plunged by 13.3 percent in August to 28,623 units, a new low for this year, according to figures published Tuesday by RDC, processed by Aumacon, an expertise centre for the auto sector. Read More

Fiscal Break for Electric Cars May be Maintained

THE HAGUE, 03/09/13 - Finance State Secretary Frans Weekers is prepared to allow the existing fiscal stimulus for electric cars to continue. Read More

Poll: PvdA at Lowest Level Ever

THE HAGUE, 03/09/13 - If elections were held now, Labour (PvdA) would only win 12 of the 150 seats in the Lower House, according to a poll by Maurice de Hond. Read More

Richer Pensioners to have State Pensions Cut

THE HAGUE, 31/08/13 - In 2015, richer pensioners in the Netherlands will be docked 25 euros per month on their state pension (AOW) payouts, sources close to the cabinet said in response to reporting by RTL Nieuws. Read More

Netherlands to Update Tax Treaties with 23 Countries

THE HAGUE, 31/08/13 - The Netherlands will improve tax transparency and update tax treaties with low-income countries and low middle-income countries, Frans Weekers, State Secretary for Finance, announced on Friday. Read More

Terrorist Samir Azzouz to be Released next Week

ROTTERDAM, 30/08/13 - Samir Azzouz, sentenced to nine years in jail for terrorism, will be released on 6 September. The district court in Rotterdam sees no reason to postpone the provisional release by one year, as the Public Prosecutor (OM) has requested. Read More

Samir Azzouz

Lower House Supports Cabinet on Syria

THE HAGUE, 30/08/13 - The Lower House supports the main lines of the cabinet on the Syria question. The government considers that international intervention should not take place before the UN inspectors present there have issued their official report. Read More

Accord with Pension Funds on Mortgage Investments

THE HAGUE, 29/08/13 - Pension funds and insurers are to invest in mortgages. A National Mortgage Institute (NHI) and a National Investment Institute (NHI) are to be set up. Read More

Definitive Accord on Green Energy

THE HAGUE, 29/08/13 - After months of intensive negotiations, a definitive accord has been reached for more renewable energy. The core of the accord is that the Netherlands will make a big effort on energy savings, and coal-fired power plants will be exchanged for wind turbines. Read More

Tax-Free 100,000 Euro Gift for Mortgage Reduction

THE HAGUE, 28/08/13 - Dutch taxpayers will be able to gift 100,000 euros tax-free next year. The money must be used on the home of the recipient. Read More

Pension Funds have Only 
14 Percent Invested in the Netherlands

THE HAGUE, 28/08/13 - Dutch pension funds invest only 14 percent of their capital in the Netherlands, according to research by the Dutch central bank DNB.

At the end of March, of the total capital of nearly 960 billion euros, 134.9 billion euros was invested in the Netherlands. Of this, 12.7 billion euros was invested in Dutch mortgages and 1 billion euros in the small business sector. Read More

No Dutch Protection for Egyptian Christians

THE HAGUE, 23/08/13 - The cabinet sees no reason in the present situation for a special asylum scheme for Coptic Christians from Egypt. “There is no question of an organised religious cleansing.” Read More

Cabinet Wants Stricter Requirements for System Banks

THE HAGUE, 27/08/13 - The government wants the major Dutch banks to hold bigger buffers than specified internationally, under the scenario for the banking sector laid out by the cabinet Friday. Read More

'Netherlands Hardest Hit by Ageing Population’

THE HAGUE, 24/08/13 - In Europe, the Netherlands, along with Luxembourg and Slovenia, will be hardest hit by the ageing of the population, The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies concludes. Read More

University of Delft Makes Smallest Drones

DELFT, 27/08/13 - Researchers at the University of Delft have made the smallest auto-pilot to date. Drones can as a result be smaller, carry more cameras and fly for longer. Read More

VVD, PvdA Want to Axe 
1 May Public Holiday

AMSTERDAM, 26/07/13 - Labour (PvdA) and centre-left D66 on Amsterdam city council are supporting a call by the conservatives (VVD) in the capital to scrap 1 May as a free day for public servants. Read More

Development Aid Body to Fight ‘Poverty’ in the Netherlands

THE HAGUE, 25/07/13 - Development aid organisation Cordaid is to focus on ‘poverty’ in the Netherlands. On the basis of experience in in Afghanistan and Congo, it wants to bring the unemployed out of their social isolation, De Volkskrant newspaper reported Wednesday. Read More

Dynamic on Dutch Housing Market Definitively Vanished

THE HAGUE, 11/07/13 - The market for housing sales in the Netherlands will not be as dynamic as it was for years in the longer term either. Much more movement could however arise on the rental market, estate agents and Rabobank believe.

A return to the transaction levels of before 2008 is no longer to be expected, said Netherlands Association of Estate Agents (NVM) chairman Ger Hukker on Wednesday. “We will no longer achieve the level of 215,000 housing sales per year in the coming 10 to 15 years. Count on 125,000 to 150,000 transactions per year.” Read More

Municipalities Target of Russian Espionage

THE HAGUE, 06/07/13 - Dutch municipalities are the target of espionage activities by foreign intelligence services. The Russians in particular try to extract confidential information from both large and small municipalities, says the deputy head of the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) Marc Kuipers in public administration magazine Binnenlands Bestuur. Read More

Higher Penalties for Corruption, Fraud

THE HAGUE, 06/07/13 - Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten on Friday sent a proposal to the Lower House for higher penalties for corruption. Read More

Terrorist Threat Level in Netherlands Remains "Substantial"

THE HAGUE, 02/07/13 - The level of threat in the Netherlands continues to be "substantial". This means that there is a real chance of an attack against the Netherlands, the National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTB) announced on Monday. Read More

'Dutch Cannabis No Longer so Strong’

AMSTERDAM, 27/06/13 - The THC content in cannabis sold in the Netherlands declined last year to 13.5 percent. In the previous year, the content of the active ingredient was still 15.5 percent, Trimbos Institute’s annual THC monitor shows. Read More

Large-Scale Final Exams Fraud Suspected

THE HAGUE, 22/06/13 - Teachers have plenty of opportunities to give their pupils overly high exam marks. The statutorily required check on exams by neutral assessors is generally not carried out, De Volkskrant reported Friday.

"It is downright fraud,” says philosophy lecturer Paul Hirsch. "Every teacher has known this for years, but nobody speaks out about it to the outside world. It is a taboo.” Read More

Court Rules Benefit Payments to Turkey Cannot be Cut

THE HAGUE, 24/08/13 - A district court in Amsterdam has ruled that the cut in benefit payments transferred by the Netherlands to persons in Morocco and Turkey infringes international treaties. Read More

First Woman Put Forward as SGP Candidate

THE HAGUE, 22/08/13 - For the first time, a woman candidate has made herself available as a candidate in elections for the smallest Christian party SGP. The 40 year old Lilian Janse wants to be frontrunner for the party in the local elections in Vlissingen. Read More

Government Maintains Private Financing despite Low Interest Rates

THE HAGUE, 21/08/13 - Private financing of public projects has become unattractive due to the extremely low interest rates that the government currently pays. But the cabinet is still pursuing the approach, mainly to polish up the budget. Read More

New Low for Coalition in Poll

THE HAGUE, 20/08/13 - The conservative (VVD) and Labour (PvdA) coalition partners would only have a combined 34 seats in the 150-seat Lower House if elections were held now. Geert Wilders is in the lead, according to a poll by Maurice de Hond. Read More

Saudi Arabia Finances New Islamic Centre in Rotterdam

THE HAGUE, 17/08/13 - The Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has gifted 650,000 euros for the building of a new Islamic centre in Rotterdam, Kamis Gacha, director of the Netherlands Socio-cultural Centre Foundation (SSCCN) says in an interview on de website of the Kuwaiti ministry of charitable and Islamic affairs (AWQAF). Read More

Green Light for Military Equipment Supply to Algeria

THE HAGUE, 15/08/13 - A Dutch company is allowed to sell some 21 million euros of military equipment to Algeria. Thales Nederland has received an export licence, Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans says in a letter to parliament. Read More

Cabinet Wants to save 8 Billion Euros, Invest 2 Billion

THE HAGUE, 14/08/13 - The cabinet will likely target some 8 billion euros of extra savings next year, 2 billion more than European Commissioner Olli Rehn demanded of the Netherlands in June in order to comply with Brussels budget norms. By cutting by more than necessary, the cabinet hopes to free up funds to invest in the troubled economy, according to sources in The Hague. Read More

Biggest Dutch Wind Park in Canadian Hands

AMSTERDAM, 03/08/13 - Canadian green energy producer Northland Power is taking a majority stake in Gemini, the biggest Dutch wind park that is to be built offshore, on the North Sea. Read More

PVV Voters Most Loyal to their Party

THE HAGUE, 03/08/13 - Nearly a year after the general elections, about 25 percent of those who voted in the elections regret their choice, the Political Barometer of Ipsos concludes.

The most loyal are those who voted for Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom (PVV). Centre-left D66 also gets a high score here. Read More

University Medical Centres to Offer Proton Cancer Therapy

THE HAGUE, 02/08/13 - Four university teaching hospitals in the Netherlands will be allowed to offer proton therapy, a new form of radiotherapy which can be used in the treatment of certain forms of cancer. Read More

Emirates Doubles Flights to Amsterdam

THE HAGUE, 01/08/13 - Dubai airline company Emirates is to fly to Amsterdam twice daily. Read More

Rules for Foreign 
Self-Employed in Netherlands to be Eased

THE HAGUE, 01/08/13 - The rules for business people from outside the EU who want to base themselves in the Netherlands are to be relaxed, under a change of policy by Economic Affairs Minister Henk Kamp which will come into force Thursday. Read More

Tiger Mosquito Appears in South Netherlands

THE HAGUE, 02/08/13 - The tiger mosquito has appeared at a number of locations in south Netherlands. Wageningen University professor Bart Knols considers the government is being too lax regarding the dangerous exotic insect. Read More

tiger mosquito

Woman Says She was Forced to Commit Honour Murder

VLAARDINGEN, 31/07/13 - A 37 year old Turkish woman who murdered her lover in the clear light of day last February did that under threat from her husband, her lawyer said Tuesday in Algemeen Dagblad newspaper. Read More

'AIVD Tapped Iranian Ambassador’

THE HAGUE, 30/07/13 - The AIVD secret service tapped the Iranian ambassador’s phone from end-2010 for months, NRC Handelsblad newspaper writes based on those involved in the intelligence world. Read More

Most Mayors from CDA

THE HAGUE, 27/07/13 - Although the CDA has halved at each of the last two general elections, the Christian democrats still provide the most mayors, according to figures from the home affairs ministry. Read More

Judge Closes Utrecht Prostitute Boats due to Human Trafficking

UTRECHT, 26/07/13 - Some 230 prostitutes in Utrecht have lost their job. A district court in Utrecht has withdrawn the licence of their employer on grounds of human trafficking. Read More

ICT Automatisering Acquires Brandfort

AMSTERDAM, 25/07/13 - ICT Automatisering is taking over engineering bureau Brandfort, which specialises in precision components and software development in the Benelux. Read More

KLM, Schiphol Subject of Competition Investigation

THE HAGUE, 24/07/13 - The Consumer and Markets Authority (ACM) has launched an investigation of the accord recently concluded by Schiphol airport and airline company KLM. Read More

GroenLinks Councillor Arrested for ‘Gay Propaganda’

MURMANSK, 23/07/13 - Kris van der Veen, a local council member for the leftwing Greens (GroenLinks) in Groningen, has been arrested in Russia for ‘gay propaganda’. Read More

Number of Internet Taps Quintupled in One Year

THE HAGUE, 20/07/13 - The number of telephones tapped by police and prosecutors rose again last year. A big increase was seen in tapping on the Internet, wrote conservative (VVD) Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten in a letter to parliament Friday. Read More

Mayor Asks Banks for Credit for Prostitutes

THE HAGUE, 20/07/13 - Bank should adopt a favourable stance towards prostitutes who try to keep window prostitution going by uniting in a cooperative, Utrecht mayor Wolfsen said Friday in Trouw newspaper. Read More

Economic Recovery Fails to Get off the Ground

AMSTERDAM, 19/07/13 - The Dutch economy will show scarcely any growth again next year, ING’s economic desk forecast Thursday.

For 2014, ING is projecting Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 0.1 percent. This means the bank’s economists are much more pessimistic than bodies including the Central Planning Bureau (CPB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). These are provisionally forecasting growth of 1 percent. Read More

Dutch Housing Sales Halved in June

THE HAGUE, 18/07/13 - Housing sales were halved in June compared with the year-earlier month. The sales figure was also low compared with May, the Land Register reported Wednesday. Read More

Advice: Police Allowed to Hack Suspects’ Computers

THE HAGUE, 18/07/13 - The Council for Jurisprudence (RVR) is positive on the plans of Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten to make it possible for police and public prosecutor’s office to hack suspects’ computers. The consultative body for the judiciary is however critical about the so-called unlocking order. Read More

Minister Schippers Saves a Billion in Healthcare Deal

THE HAGUE, 17/07/13 - Turnover growth in the healthcare sector will be limited to 1 percent from 2015. Additionally, GPs will be less quick to prescribe medicines for their patients and send them to hospital.

Health Minister Edith Schippers announced Tuesday that she has made agreements wit the sector. She has calculated that she will be able to reduce spending permanently by about one billion euros from 2015 now that negotiations on healthcare spending have been positively concluded. Read More

Energy Accord: Windmills to Supplant Coal-Fired Plants

THE HAGUE, 13/07/13 - There are to be enormous onshore and offshore wind turbine parks, homes will be insulated on a large scale and old coal-fired power plants will close down, according to the main lines of the National Energy Accord on which the cabinet is working.

The cabinet, employers, unions and the environmental movement have agreed the main lines in a verbal accord, Economic Affairs Minister Henk Kamp reported Friday. The energy accord will no longer target 16 percent 'green' energy in 2020 - as in the coalition accord - but 14 percent. This is the minimum requirement of Brussels. Only in 2023 should 16 percent be achieved. Read More

Top Incomes in Public Sector Capped from 2015

THE HAGUE, 11/07/13 - The incomes of executives paid with taxpayers money will be subject to a ceiling equal to a ministerial salary from 2015, Home Affairs Minister Ronald Plasterk said Wednesday in a letter to parliament. Read More

Energy Accord Not until after the Summer

THE HAGUE, 12/07/13 - The energy accord will take longer than previously thought. The negotiators from employers, energy companies, the cabinet and the environmental movement are still fighting over so many things that a definitive accord is not expected until after the summer, those involved say in De Telegraaf newspaper. Read More

Prostitution Bill Battered in Upper House

THE HAGUE, 10/07/13 - The Prostitution Bill received a battering in the Upper House on Tuesday as it was passed only partially. It will likely come into effect on 1 July 2014.

The minimum age for prostitutes is being raised from 18 to 21. There will also be stricter licence conditions for operators. But many parts of the bill have disappeared. For example, the registration requirement for prostitutes was stranded in the Upper House. Read More

'Amsterdam as European Market for Corporate Private Placements’

THE HAGUE, 08/07/13 - Dutch banks and insurers are working on a plan for a European market for corporate private placements, says Joost van der Does de Willebois in an interview with Het Financieele Dagblad newspaper.

The plan is intended to ensure that smaller and medium-sized companies can already have an alternative within a few months to bank financing or the issue of bonds. Up to now, companies could actually only go to the US for these private placements. Read More

Municipalities Can Hire Private Companies to Hand out Fines

THE HAGUE, 04/07/13 - Justice Minister Opstelten wants to permit municipalities from 1 January 2014 to hire in personnel from private organisations to work as special investigating officers.

Special investigating officers (BOAs) are currently allowed to hand out fines for parking violations and general local regulations. "But soon this will also cover areas such as upholding the Licensing and Catering Act, public manifestations, fireworks, as well as environmental issues," Opstelten says in a letter to parliament. Read More

Two 'special investigating officers' (BOAs)

---

Wilders Calls for Mass Protest against Govt

THE HAGUE, 02/07/13 - Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders is to organise a demonstration against the cabinet. “The people are angry with Premier Rutte and his PvdA (Labour) buddies", said Wilders in De Telegraaf newspaper Monday. Read More

D66, GroenLinks have ‘Positive’ Talks with Cabinet

THE HAGUE, 29/06/13 - Centre-left D66 and the leftwing Greens (GroenLinks) say they had a ‘positive meeting’ with a cabinet delegation on Thursday evening. Vice-Premier Lodewijk Asscher also expressed satisfaction on Friday.

The coalition of conservatives (VVD) and Labour (PvdA) has no majority in the Upper House. The cabinet is therefore trying to make a deal in a series of areas with D66 and GroenLinks, who can together ensure a majority. Read More

Dijsselbloem Wants Cash from Mortgage Recipients

THE HAGUE, 29/06/13 - Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem is embracing a proposal requiring a cash contribution from people who want to buy a house.

A commission headed by Herman Wijffels brought out recommendations on the future of the banking sector Friday. They consider among other things that mortgages should be no higher than 80 percent of the value of the home. Those who buy a home should first save up. Read More

Samsom: Cabinet Must Stimulate Spending

THE HAGUE, 26/06/13 - Labour (PvdA) wants to formulate a plan in negotiations of new cutbacks for 2014 to invest billions in hoarded money in the economy, said PvdA leader Diederik Samsom Tuesday in an interview with De Volkskrant newspaper. But virtually the entire opposition reacted dismissively. Read More

Dutch Army Must be Deployable Worldwide

THE HAGUE, 27/06/13 - Defence Minister Jeanine Hennis is facing new cutbacks on her budget. Nonetheless, the Dutch armed forces must remain deployable worldwide up to the highest level of force, the minister’s future scenario specifies. Read More

Most Voters Expect Premature Fall of the Government

THE HAGUE, 25/06/13 - Only one in three voters hope that the cabinet will serve its full term until 2017. The number of voters that believe Rutte II will make it to the end of the administrative term is even smaller, according to a survey by opinion pollster Maurice de Hond. Read More

Opposition Disappointed with Cabinet's Autonomy Document

THE HAGUE, 25/06/13 - Opposition parties are disappointed with the views of the cabinet on the degree of autonomy that the member states should have within the EU.

The cabinet drew up a document on Friday which indicates in which areas the member states should form their own policy and where uniform EU policy is preferable. The list was announced earlier as one that would claw back powers from the EU. Read More

All Prisoners to have a Computer 
in their Cell

THE HAGUE, 22/06/13 - All prisoners are to have a computer in their cells, as part of Security and Justice State Secretary Fred Teeven’s plans for the future of the prison system.

The PCs are intended to contribute to a “worthwhile use of the day” by the prisoners. “One could think here of e-learning, e-health and arranging activities in the area of re-integration and aftercare,” said Teeven. Read More

No Tax System Reforms before 2015

THE HAGUE, 20/06/13 - The cabinet will in any case not carry out possible reforms of the tax system before 2015, says Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem. He was giving his reactions to the report by the Dijkhuizen Commission on simplifying the tax system. Read More

Netherlands Threatens Veto on Israeli Sanctions

THE HAGUE, 20/06/13 - Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans will use his veto on possible EU sanctions against Israel, he said Wednesday.

The European Union is threatening measures against Israel if it goes ahead with the building of settlements on the disputed E1 location east of Jerusalem. According to Timmermans, European sanctions are now not on the agenda at all, but he will block them if necessary. Read More

Netherlands in Special Partnerships with Israel and Palestinians

THE HAGUE, 19/06/13 - The Netherlands is tightening its ties with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. There will be partnership links comparable to those the Dutch have with countries such as France, Germany and Poland. Read More

Upper House Speaker Resigns over Wilders Affair

THE HAGUE, 15/06/13 - Fred de Graaf has resigned as Speaker in the Upper House. He considers his position untenable because he apparently prevented Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders from being given a prominent role in the investiture of Willem-Alexander as king. Read More

Cabinet to save 6 Billion 
as 2014 Deficit is Forecast 
at 3.7 Percent

THE HAGUE, 14/06/13 - The Central Planning Bureau (CPB) expects the Dutch budget deficit to reach 3.7 percent next year. The conservatives (VVD) and (Labour) will try and find an austerity package totalling 6 billion euros for 2014. Read More

Public Servants Required to Perform Gay Marriages

THE HAGUE, 13/06/13 - Public servants are no longer allowed to refuse to perform a marriage ceremony between two people of the same sex. The Lower House has adopted a proposed bill by a large majority put forward by centre-left D66 MPs Pia Dijkstra and Gerard Schouw. Read More

Fifteen National Exams Leaked through Islamic School

THE HAGUE, 12/06/13 - Not just one but 15 national exams for secondary education school leavers have been stolen and distributed from the controversial Ibn Ghaldoun Islamic school in Rotterdam.

Last week, it emerged that the French exam at the pre-university VWO level of secondary education was stolen from the school's vault. Now, the Education Ministry says the same thing happened at Ibn Ghaldoun to 14 other exams. Read More

Employers: Ignore 3 Percent Budget Deficit Ceiling

THE HAGUE, 12/06/13 - European Commissioner Olli Rehn is willing to give the Netherlands more time to get its deficit down to the eurozone norm of 3 percent of GDP, he suggested in The Hague on Tuesday. Employer organisations are urging the cabinet not to raise taxes anymore.

The commissioner repeated that the Netherlands needs to make additional savings to get its deficit down to 2.8 percent in 2014. Brussels last week set that percentage rather than just 3.0 percent as the target. However, a breathing space would be possible if economic growth continued to be elusive, Rehn stated on Tuesday. Read More

Exam Fraud: All Rotterdam Diploma Presentations Postponed

THE HAGUE, 14/06/13 - Diploma presentations for all secondary schools in Rotterdam have been postponed. The Public Prosecutor’s Office (OM) must first establish the extent of the exam fraud at the Islamic school Ibn Ghaldoun. Read More

Poll: Confidence in Cabinet Hits New Low

THE HAGUE, 11/06/13 - Confidence in the cabinet of conservatives (VVD) and Labour (PvdA) has hit a new low some 200 days after the general elections, according to a poll published by Maurice de Hond.

In the weekly poll, the Party for Freedom (PVV) remains the biggest party with 28 seats, followed by the Socialist Party (SP) with 23. Read More

State Must Pay Damages to Cannabis Cafes

THE HAGUE, 06/06/13 - The State must pay damages to cannabis cafes ('coffee shops') in the south of the country. They have suffered unnecessary damages due to the ‘weed pass card’, a district court in The Hague ruled Wednesday.

Coffee-shops in Limburg, Noord-Brabant and Zeeland had to exclude foreign clients last year. Only clients registered as members of the coffee shop as closed club were allowed to be served. Read More

New Health Insurer 
a Step Nearer to Entering Dutch Market

THE HAGUE, 07/06/13 - There is a strong chance that a new health insurer with an innovative business model will enter the Dutch market this autumn. Anno 12 has assembled the necessary start-up capital of 3.2 million euros.

Anno12 will ask the insured persons to buy an 850 euro members certificate, giving them a discount on the premium. If there is money over at the end of the year because claims turn out to be low, the members will receive a payout. Read More

Cabinet, Parliament 
Ignore European Housing Market Advice

THE HAGUE, 01/06/13 - The recommendations of the European Commission on the Dutch housing market are falling on deaf ears. Cabinet and Lower House are not planning to tamper with the Housing Accord reached in February. Read More

No Legal Protection for Ethical Hackers

THE HAGUE, 31/05/13 - Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten is not planning to protect hackers who only want to demonstrate weaknesses in security in such a way that they can never be prosecuted, he said in a Lower House a debate on cyber security.

A number of parties in the House are concerned about the protection of 'ethical hackers'. The legal framework will not however be adapted. “The ethical hacker is not always protected” against prosecution by the Public Prosecutor’s Office (OM), the minister said. Read More

Netherlands to Sign Bilateral Tax Treaty with China

THE HAGUE, 30/05/13 - Finance State Secretary Frans Weekers will lead a Dutch mission to Beijing, Shenzhen and Hong Kong from Thursday. Among other things, he will sign a new bilateral tax treaty with the Chinese government and he will draw attention to the Netherlands as a country of residence for Chinese companies. Read More

Tech Startups Visit New York for Dutch-American Partnerships

NEW YORK, 30/05/13 - The Consulate General of the Netherlands on Wednesday announced a delegation of the Netherlands' most promising tech startups will visit New York City from 3-6 June to experience the NYC tech scene. Read More

Economists Award Fail Mark to Premier Rutte

THE HAGUE, 28/05/13 - Leading economists have given Mark Rutte a fail mark. On average, they give him a 4.7 since his cabinet took office.

The economists were responding to a survey by radio broadcaster BNR and Het Financieele Dagblad newspaper. Read More

Kuwait Controls Amsterdam's Blue Mosque

AMSTERDAM, 28/05/13 - Kuwait holds the power in the Blue Mosque in Amsterdam. A top civil servant from the Ministry of Religious Affairs in that country has been appointed board chairman of the mosque, Het Parool newspaper reports. Read More

Netherlands against European Minimum Wage

THE HAGUE, 25/05/13 - The cabinet has rejected a proposal by Labour (PvdA) for the introduction of a European minimum wage. “The economic differences between countries within Europe are too great for that,” wrote Social Affairs Minister Lodewijk Asscher Friday in a letter to parliament. Read More

Rotterdam to Sack 
Whiste-Blower 
on Mosque Schools

THE HAGUE, 16/05/13 - Rotterdam city council wants to sack the civil servant who revealed there are illegal Turkish mosque-related boarding schools in the city. Read More

King Maintains Protocol for New Ambassadors

THE HAGUE, 09/05/13 - King Willem-Alexander is maintaining his mother’s traditions for the reception of new ambassadors in The Hague. Read More

Smoking Ban for All Cafes 
from 1 July 2014

THE HAGUE, 08/05/13 - From 1 July 2014, the smoking ban is to apply to the whole of the Dutch hospitality sector. Healthcare State Secretary Martin van Rijn plans to present an amendment to the Tobacco Act to the Lower House by next October, he said Friday. Read More

Amsterdam Fails to Check Registration of Prostitutes

AMSTERDAM, 23/08/13 - Although Amsterdam sex workers have to register at the Chamber of Commerce as prostitutes by 1 September, the city council has not yet checked up on this. Read More

Cutbacks Cause Unrest at AIVD

THE HAGUE, 22/08/13 - Eighty intelligence officers are to lose their jobs at the AIVD secret service, public broadcaster NOS reported Wednesday.

Due to a 23 million euro cut on the secret service’s budget, 200 of the 1,500 jobs are to be axed. Among these are the 80 officers who collect and analyse information. The disappearance of this latter group of jobs has come as a surprise to a large portion of the AIVD staff. Read More

Escaped Prisoner Demands to See Daughter in Court Case

ROERMOND, 21/08/13 - An escaped prisoner has demanded to see his daughter in a court case. His request was turned down Tuesday by a judge in Roermond. Read More

Telegraaf: Only Two Newspaper Companies to Survive

AMSTERDAM, 17/08/13 - The number of newspaper companies in the Netherlands is expected to shrink sharply in the coming year. Telegraaf Media Groep (TMG) interim CEO Cees van Steijn expects only two to survive, he said Friday in Het Financieele Dagblad newspaper. Read More

All Bank Staff to Take Oath

THE HAGUE, 16/08/13 - The bankers’ oath is to be applicable to all staff at banks, under a draft bill from Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem. He is thereby adopting an important recommendation by the De Wit parliamentary inquiry committee.  Read More

'Right to Flexible Working Hours in 2014'

THE HAGUE, 16/08/13 - The Christian democrats (CDA) and leftwing Greens (GroenLinks) have put forward a proposed bill to give employees the right to more flexible working hours from 2014.  Read More

Dutch Economic Outlook Worsens

AMSTERDAM, 15/08/13 - The outlook for the Dutch economy has worsened since June. GDP will contract faster than expected this year and the recovery in 2014 will lag behind earlier expectations, according to the latest forecasts from the Central Planning Bureau (CPB) published Wednesday. Read More

Dutch Embassy in Yemen Still Closed

THE HAGUE, 14/08/13 - The Dutch embassy in Yemen will remain closed until further notice, a foreign affairs ministry spokesman in The Hague has announced. Read More

Netherlands Will Not Boycott Olympic Games

THE HAGUE, 13/08/13 - The Netherlands is no supporter of a boycott of the Olympic Winter Games in Russia next year.

It is better for homosexuals and lesbians in Russia for the Netherlands and other countries to participate in the Winter Games in Sochi and speak out there for the rights of homosexuals. “With this approach, we will on balance achieve more” than with a boycott, said a spokesman for Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans. Read More

Capital Markets Punish Netherlands for Slow Economic Recovery

AMSTERDAM, 13/08/13 - International investors are divesting Dutch state bonds because The Hague is braking growth with a one-sided focus on cutbacks. Additionally, the Netherlands is struggling with fundamental weaknesses, Het Financieele Dagblad newspaper concludes. Read More

Criminals’ Union Angry about Photos of Thieves

THE HAGUE, 31/07/13 - Criminals have warned the government that it must not allow photos of suspected shop thieves to be put on the Internet.

The Union of Lawbreakers (BWO) said Tuesday that Justice State Secretary Fred Teeven must guard against the dangers and consequences. Read More

Minister Brings Muslims Along to Gay Parade

THE HAGUE, 30/07/13 - Campaigners for gay rights within Muslim groups will sail through the Amsterdam canals with Emancipation Minister Jet Bussemaker in the annual Gay Parade on 3 August. Read More

Defence Minister to Sail with Gay Pride

THE HAGUE, 27/07/13 - Defence Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert will sail along with the 18th edition of the boats parade of Amsterdam Gay Pride on 3 August. This will be the first time that a defence minister has joined this parade. Read More

Judges Remove Portrait of Queen Maxima

THE HAGUE, 24/07/13 - At the insistence of judges, portraits of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima have been removed from a district court in The Hague. The magistrates refused to administer justice in the ‘presence’ of Maxima. Read More

Supermarkets Boycott Products from Occupied Territories

THE HAGUE, 23/07/13 - Supermarket chains Aldi, Hoogvliet and Jumbo are no longer selling products from Jewish settlements in areas occupied by Israel. The companies have confirmed the boycott in a telephone roundup by Trouw newspaper. Read More

Municipalities Overwhelmed with Nonsense Questions

THE HAGUE, 19/07/13 - More and more municipalities are struggling with citizens that pose nonsensical questions, in the hopes that these questions will not be answered in time. In this case, the municipality is actually required to pay a fine to the questioner. Read More

Advice: Netherlands Can Arm Drones

THE HAGUE, 17/07/13 - The Netherlands is allowed to equip drones with weapons in armed conflicts abroad, the advisory committee on international law (CAVV) concludes in recommendations to the foreign ministry. Read More

Cabinet Wants to Provide more Freedom to Found Schools

THE HAGUE, 16/07/13 - Education State Secretary Sander Dekker wants to make it easier for private parties to set up a school.

Currently, a new school can only be founded if it matches a religion or ideology. Dekker wants to get rid of this constraint. “Schools should form a better reflection of the society.” Read More

Netherlands Military Partnership with China Expanded

THE HAGUE, 16/07/13 - The Netherlands’ military partnership with the Chinese armed forces is to be expanded, the defence ministry announced Monday. Read More

Islam-Friendly Rubbish Bins in Alkmaar

ALKMAAR, 13/07/13 - The municipality of Alkmaar has stationed Islam-friendly rubbish bins in the districts of Oudorp and Overdie. Read More

Minister: Worrying That Population Experiences Islam as a Threat

THE HAGUE, 12/07/13 - Vice-Premier and Social Affairs Minister Lodewijk Asscher considers it worrying that part of the population experiences Islam as threatening.

“The increasing visibility of Islam in our society, the different traditions and views, and the association with violence and radicalisation have led to part of the people seeing Islam as a threat. This is a worrying development because this threatens the cohesion and stability in society,” writes Asscher in answer to questions from the Party for Freedom (PVV). Read More

Bulgarian Immigrants are Often Uneducated Turks

THE HAGUE, 10/07/13 - Immigrants from Bulgaria are often ethnic Turks. They are poorly educated, usually have no work and the majority want to continue to live in the Netherlands, according to a study by the Socio-Cultural Planning Bureau (SCP) presented Tuesday. Read More

Dutch Scientists in Revolutionary Cancer Treatment Method

THE HAGUE, 08/07/13 - Dutch scientists are to develop cancer medicines on the basis of the DNA profile of the individual patients. To this end, they are setting up the Living Biobank in Utrecht.

"This ambitious step can mean an enormous step forward. If we roll it out well, the Netherlands will create a unique position with a big lead. Big pharma companies will view this with more than ordinary interest,” says Ton Logtenberg, CEO of biotech firm Merus. He is the initiator of Living Biobank, in partnership with Hans Clevers, chairman of the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences (KNAW). Read More

Cabinet Wants to Take more Risks with Pensions

THE HAGUE, 05/07/13 - The law will be amended to state that pension funds must allow payouts to rise every year by at least inflation, or actually reduce the pension. They are no longer allowed to raise the premiums, according to documents obtained by RTL Z. Read More

Rutte Wants Jobless Southern Europeans

THE HAGUE, 05/07/13 - Despite the rapidly rising unemployment in its own country, the Dutch cabinet wants to bring young European jobless people with specific qualities to the Netherlands, Premier Mark Rutte said following an EU summit on youth unemployment in Berlin. Read More

Senate Opposes Smaller Municipal Councils

THE HAGUE, 04/07/13 - Labour (PvdA) Senator Heijnen has failed to win a majority in the Upper House for his private members bill proposing to cut the number of municipal council members by around 10 percent. Read More

Talks with Opposition Fail

THE HAGUE, 03/07/13 - The talks between the cabinet and the centre-left D66 and leftwing greens (GroenLinks) opposition parties on extra cutbacks have failed.

There now remain a number of scenarios. Read More

Rotterdam District Council Resigns on Turkish Coup

ROTTERDAM, 03/07/13 - The entire management board of the Rotterdam district council Feijenoord has resigned following a scathing report on a political coup by Turkish Labour (PvdA) members. Read More

Shocking Rise in Inefficiency of Govt Apparatus

THE HAGUE, 28/06/13 - The productivity of civil servants has slipped back sharply in recent years. Compared with the year 2000, 17 billion euros is being wasted annually, concludes consultancy bureau Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in a report sent to the Lower House on Thursday.

Government spending has risen in the past 11 years by no less than 62 percent. In 2000, the figure was 185 billion euros, which had risen to 300 billion by 2011. At the same time, productivity declined substantially, according to the researchers. Read More

Cabinet Rejects Call to Divest Nationalised Banks

THE HAGUE, 28/06/13 - Vice-Premier Lodewijk Asscher on Thursday called on the VNO-NCW employer organisation to lower pension premiums for employees. This could lead to the impulse for consumer spending for which VNO-NCW is pushing so hard.

Asscher was reacting in the afternoon to a plea by VNO-NCW chairman Bernard Wientjes in the morning to drop yet another 6 billion euros in cutbacks. Instead, according to Wientjes, the nationalised banks ABN Amro and SNS Reaal, insurer ASR and the mortgage portfolio of ING should be sold. Read More

Dutch Q1 Economic Growth Adjusted Sharply Downwards

THE HAGUE, 26/06/13 - The Dutch economy did even worse in the first quarter than previously announced. The Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS) on Tuesday revised its GDP estimate sharply downwards.

The CBS now says Dutch economic growth was -0.4 percent in the first quarter of 2013 compared with the fourth quarter of 2012. The first estimate, published on 15 May, put growth at -0.1 percent. Read More

Cabinet: 6 Billion Euros in Extra Cutbacks

THE HAGUE, 21/06/13 - The cabinet is to make a maximum of 6 billion euros of extra savings next year. If the economic data deteriorates further in the coming months, this will not trigger yet more cutbacks, Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem has said in a letter to parliament. Read More

KPN Accelerates 4G Rollout

AMSTERDAM, 19/06/13 - Telecom concern KPN now expects to be able to complete the rollout of the new 4G network in the Netherlands three months earlier than previously thought. Read More

Military on Cultural Sensitivity Exercise in Amsterdam

AMSTERDAM, 15/06/13 - Soldiers are to visit immigrant districts in Amsterdam next week to exercise negotiating techniques in a multicultural society, De Telegraaf newspaper reported Friday. Read More

DNB: Budget Deficit to 3.9 Percent of GDP next Year

THE HAGUE, 11/06/13 - The Dutch budget deficit will rise to 3.9 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) next year assuming unchanged policy. To come out below the 3 percent level, supplementary measures of up to 8 billion euros will be necessary, said the central bank (DNB) Monday in its half-yearly economic report. Read More

Senate Speaker Removed Wilders from King's Escort

THE HAGUE, 13/06/13 - Upper House Speaker Fred de Graaf used a ruse to avoid Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders obtaining a prominent role in the investiture of Willem-Alexander as king.

Wilders was to have been part of an escort committee of five MPs who would guide Willem-Alexander and his wife Maxima on their arrival and leaving the Nieuwe Kerk church, where the change of monarch took place on 30 April. De Graaf acknowledged in De Volkskrant newspaper on Wednesday that he avoided this because he “preferred not to have (Wilders) along.” Read More

VVD: Ankle-Band as Replacing Prison Sentence Unacceptable

THE HAGUE, 07/06/13 - The conservatives (VVD) have torpedoed Justice State Secretary Fred Teeven's plan to replace prison sentences by electronic detention by means of a GPS ankle-band. MP Ard van der Steur said in the Lower House Thursday the plan was "unacceptable". Read More

PostNL Allowed to Scrap Half Its Letter-Boxes

THE HAGUE, 05/06/13 - PostNL is being given scope by Economic Affairs Minister Henk Kamp to become more profitable. The postal company is allowed to scrap about half its letterboxes. Read More

Parliamentary Inquiry on Fyra Train Debacle

THE HAGUE, 05/06/13 - The Lower House will hold a parliamentary inquiry into the Fyra rail service. Through the investigation, all details surrounding the disastrous train project should surface.

Opposition parties like the Christian democrats (CDA) and centre-left D66 have for some time been urging a parliamentary inquiry into the high-speed rail service between Brussels and Amsterdam. On Tuesday the governing conservative (VVD) and Labour (PvdA) parties also backed the proposal, creating a majority in the House. Read More

Cabinet Seeks more Tax Increases, Less Spending Cuts

THE HAGUE, 04/06/13 - The government parties are planning to introduce tax increases to get the budget deficit below 3 percent of GDP in 2014. The Christian democrats (CDA) are opposing this move. Read More

CPB: 52 Percent Income Tax is Too High

THE HAGUE, 31/05/13 - The top income tax rate of 52 percent is too high, the Central Planning Bureau (CPB) considers. It concluded in a report Thursday that the rate could best be set at 49 percent. Read More

Clients Not Required to Check if Prostitutes are Registered

THE HAGUE, 30/05/13 - The new Prostitution Act from Security Minister Ivo Opstelten will come through the Upper House largely intact. Prostitutes will in future have to register, but their clients will not have to ensure that they are dealing with a registered prostitute. Read More

“Unprecedented” Dutch Integration with German Army

THE HAGUE, 29/05/13 - The partnership between the Dutch and German armies is moving to an “unprecedented level of integration,” said Defence Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert in Berlin Tuesday. Read More

Health Minister “Not Optimistic” on Size of Hospital Bill Fraud

THE HAGUE, 24/05/13 - Health Minister Edith Schippers hopes to be able to rein in fraud in healthcare next year by introducing a simpler registration system. She does not know how big the fraud is.

The conservative (VVD) minister will try to introduce a system from 1 January 2014 whereby patients are sent a statement following treatment in a hospital which shows in normal words what treatment they have undergone. She cannot however guarantee that this date will be achieved. Read More

Edith Schippers

Wilders Visits 'Sharia District' in The Hague

THE HAGUE, 22/05/13 - Surrounded by security guards, Geert Wilders made a visit to the Schilderswijk district in The Hague on Tuesday afternoon. The Party for Freedom (PVV) leader decided on an inspection after Trouw newspaper reported last Saturday that the district is a Sharia stronghold where the police are no longer welcome. Read More

Anti-Meat Propaganda in Dutch School Exams

THE HAGUE, 18/05/13 - The national Dutch language exam for secondary education at HAVO level was a propaganda text for vegetarianism, in the opinion of the Christian democrats (CDA). Thousands of pupils had to answer questions about a text by the controversial anti-meat activist Roos Vonk. Read More

Roos Vonk

FM Timmermans Rejects Country Ranking Order for Religious Freedom

THE HAGUE, 17/05/13 - Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans will not draw up an annual ranking order of countries where religious freedom is violated the most. Additionally, projects to draw attention to persecution of Christians are to be halted. Read More

Dutch Houses Sold at 12 Percent below Asking Price

AMSTERDAM, 17/05/13 - Home owners in the Netherlands on average received 88 percent of their original asking price if they sold in 2012. Shortly before the crisis, this was still 95 percent, according to a comparison by technology company Calcasa, which publishes a housing index.Read More

Healthcare Spending 3.7 Percent up to EUR 93 Billion

THE HAGUE, 17/05/13 - Last year, spending on healthcare in the Netherlands amounted to 92.7 billion euros, an increase by 3.7 percent from 2011. In particular spending on long-term care rose considerably, the Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS) reported on Thursday. Read More

T-Mobile with Huawei in Dutch 4G Network

THE HAGUE, 11/05/13 - Telecom concern T-Mobile has formed an alliance with Chinese technology company Huawei for the construction of a 4G network in the Netherlands. Read More

Kendrion in Big Takeover in Germany

AMSTERDAM, 08/05/13 - Kendrion, producer of electromagnetic components, announced Tuesday the acquisition of German company Kuhnke, which booked 2012 sales of 110 million euros. Kendrion itself generated sales of 285 million euros last year.Read More

---

Interested in Mergers 
and Acquisitions 
in the Netherlands?

Check the NIS Dutch M&A archive

VVD May Reconsider Making Illegal Residence a Crime

THE HAGUE, 09/05/13 - Just as Labour (PvdA) appears to have decided to accept that it will become a punishable offence to be illegally resident in the Netherlands, its conservative (VVD) coalition partner has offered the possibility of renegotiation on this matter. Read More

Former Top Civil Servants Incriminate Demmink

THE HAGUE, 21/06/13 - Two former top civil servants at the justice ministry have made incriminating depositions on child abuse against Joris Demmink, De Volkskrant newspaper reported on Thursday. Demmink was until recently the Secretary-General at the ministry.

This is the first time that staff members of Justice have spoken out on the Demmink question without anonymity. The witness statements were drawn up by a Haarlem notary on 17 May. Read More

Netherlands Introduces Trilateral Approach to Human Rights

THE HAGUE, 18/06/13 - The protection of human rights activities and defence of gay and women’s rights have been designated as the three spearheads of Dutch human rights policy. The Netherlands is also introducing a trilateral approach.

The cabinet has backed the Human Rights Memorandum of Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans. The memorandum had already come up two weeks ago, but postponement followed then because the conservatives (VVD) were concerned about the possible consequences of the memorandum for companies. Read More

Housing Bubble Deflated

THE HAGUE, 18/06/13 - House prices in the Netherlands have fallen to the level of its immediately neighbouring countries due to the crisis. Only in the UK are prices still higher, according to a survey by Het Financieele Dagblad. Read More

Tougher Tackling of Forced Marriages

THE HAGUE, 08/06/13 - Women and girls that want to go and live in a different country will in future have to de-register themselves at the municipality in person. As a result of this measure, Social Affairs Minister Lodewijk Asscher hopes to be able to reduce the number of forced marriages. Read More

Dutch Start-Ups Pioneer in 3D Printing

AMSTERDAM, 08/06/13 - Dutch companies are in the vanguard on 3D-printing. In a short period, three companies have been started in this new market.

The newest shoot in the Dutch 3D print sector is 3D Hubs. Read More

PvdA Urges Norwegian Model for Medicine Prices

THE HAGUE, 06/06/13 - Labour (PvdA) MP Tunahan Kuzu is to put forward a private member’s bill in the Lower House to tighten up the Medicines Prices Act (WGP) in line with the Norwegian model. As a result, he says medicine prices would decline.

In his private member’s bill, Kuzu proposes introducing a different calculation than that used now for fixing the maximum price of medicine. This price, for which pharmacies can buy a medicine, is currently based on the average prices of comparable medicines in Belgium, Germany, France and the UK. Read More

'Tripling Wind Energy Capacity a Big Mistake’

THE HAGUE, 04/06/13 - The Netherlands is making a big mistake by putting a big emphasis on wind energy, warn Labour (PvdA) economists Willem Vermeend and Rick van der Ploeg.

The Netherlands is targeting an enormous expansion in the number of wind turbines. This is an important part of the national energy accord on which the Socio-Economic Council (SER) is currently negotiating, it emerges from a draft accord obtained by various media. Read More

Internet Swindling Not a Crime: Court

AMSTERDAM, 01/06/13 - Internet swindling is in many cases not a punishable offence. As a result, swindlers that offer goods via the Internet and fail to deliver them after payment has been made, often remain unpunished, it appears from a ruling by a district court in Haarlem. Read More

Number of Euthanasia Clinic Teams to be Doubled

THE HAGUE, 25/05/13 - From 1 June, 30 mobile teams of doctors and nurses will handle euthanasia requests from throughout the Netherlands. Currently, there are 17 teams. Read More

Netherlands Pulls out 
of Urenco

THE HAGUE, 24/05/13 - The Dutch government wishes to sell its interest in URENCO, which provides uranium enrichment services for nuclear power producers, the cabinet announced on Thursday. Read More

Internet Gambling Legal in Netherlands from 2015

THE HAGUE, 23/05/13 - The provision of games of chance on the Internet will become legal in the Netherlands from 2015. The cabinet released a draft bill Wednesday. Read More

Government Companies to Pay Tax from 2016

THE HAGUE, 23/05/13 - From January 2016, government companies are to pay corporate tax. This is at the insistence of the European Commission. Read More

‘Dutch House Prices Still 33 Percent Too High‘

AMSTERDAM, 22/05/13 - Dutch house prices are still 33 percent too high in relation to the incomes of the population, The Economist says. Read More

Check the NIS Dutch property market archive

---

Survey: Three-Quarters of Dutch Muslims Applaud Syrian Rebels

THE HAGUE, 29/05/13 - Nearly three-quarters of Dutch Muslims welcome the fact that fellow-believers from the Netherlands travel to Syria to join the fight against the Assad regime, according to a survey carried out by Motivaction and commissioned by public broadcaster NCRV's TV programme Altijd Wat. Read More

Nine Children from The Hague in Syria for Jihad

THE HAGUE, 18/05/13 - At least nine children from The Hague region are active in Syria. At least three people are in the picture as possible suspects of Jihad recruiting. Read More

Sunday Shopping Determined by Local Councils

THE HAGUE, 16/05/13 - Local councils will be able to determine whether and how often shops can open on Sundays. A proposal by the centre-left (D66) and left-wing Greens (GroenLinks) parties can count on a Senate majority. Read More

Netherlands to Intensify Trade with Western China

THE HAGUE, 15/05/13 - Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Lilianne Ploumen wants to intensify existing trade and investment relations with Western China, she said after a trade mission to China representing 50 Dutch companies. Read More

Dutch Company Not Prosecuted for Israeli ‘Wall’

THE HAGUE, 15/05/13 - Crane-leasing company Riwal of Dordrecht is not to be prosecuted for its contribution to the construction of the controversial encirclement by Israel around the Palestinian territories. Read More

Police Orchestrated Child's Islamic Wedding

AMSTERDAM, 14/05/13 - An underage Islamic girl was married illegally in the Netherlands according to Islamic law following the assistance of the Amsterdam police, De Volkskrant newspaper reported Monday. Read More

Ban on Illegal Residence Could Lead to more Illegals

THE HAGUE, 14/05/13 - Although the conservatives (VVD) and Labour (PvdA) have agreed that illegal residence in the Netherlands will be legally banned, there is a chance that this proposal could actually lead to an increase in the numbers of illegal immigrants that obtain a residence permit. Read More

Minister Announces Increase in Police Drone Flights

THE HAGUE, 11/05/13 - The Dutch police are to have an Unmanned Aerial Services (UAS) unit, Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten has said in a letter to parliament. According to the centre-left D66 opposition party, the Netherlands will be the first country with such a unit, and the privacy of citizens is at risk. Read More

Ban on Discrimination 
against Gay Teachers

THE HAGUE, 09/05/13 - Christian and Islamic schools are no longer allowed to fire or refuse teachers because they are homosexual. Centre-left D66, together with the conservatives (VVD), Labour (PvdA), the Socialist Party (SP) and the leftwing Greens (GroenLinks) have put forward a bill that will put a stop to possible discrimination against homosexual teachers. 
Read More

'Police Target Honest Citizens, Criminals Get off Scot Free’

THE HAGUE, 08/05/13 - Normal people who commit minor infringements are treated much more harshly by the police than are criminals who constantly break the law, says a study presented Tuesday. Read More

Tension Mounts for Weekers on Bulgarian Fraud

THE HAGUE, 07/05/13 - The Lower House is unhappy with an overview that Finance State Secretary Frans Weekers sent this weekend on the so-called Bulgarian fraud. At the proposal of the entire opposition, the House decided Monday on an emergency consultation in writing. Read More

Police Given far-Reaching Powers against Cyber Crime

THE HAGUE, 07/05/13 - Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten sent a proposed bill to the Lower House Thursday giving the police powers to gain access to computers of suspected cyber-criminals at home and abroad. Read More

Curacao's Leader Assassinated

THE HAGUE, 07/05/13 - The Dutch government is shocked by the murder of Helmin Wiels, leader of the biggest government party in Curaçao. “Much remains unclear, but nothing can justify such a cowardly deed,” said Premier Mark Rutte on Monday. Read More

---

More

---