About: The Netherlands
Italy holds Netherlands, EU ‘responsible’ for migrant boat
Italy's hardline Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said he would hold the Netherlands and the European Union "responsible" for the fate of 42 migrants that Rome has blocked from disembarking at Italian ports for over a week.
14 EU countries call for ‘unified approach’ to gene editing in plants
The Netherlands and Estonia are leading a coalition of 14 EU member states calling on the next European Commission to update EU GMO laws with regard to so-called new plant breeding techniques (NPBTs).
Dutch vote boosts chances of ‘progressive alliance’ in EU Parliament
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#EU2019 – Dutch PM Rutte turns EP campaign into duel with far-right
Prime Minister Mark Rutte has upped the ante in the Dutch campaign for the European Parliament elections, turning the vote into a two-way battle between his liberal-conservative VVD party and the far-right FvD, led by the controversial, ideologically extreme Thierry Baudet.
EU country briefing: The Netherlands
A founding member of the European project, the Netherlands has been a strong proponent of regional cooperation since the end of World War II, as shown by the then-created Benelux customs union.
MEPs confirm electric fishing ban, despite eleventh-hour Dutch effort
The European Parliament approved on Tuesday (16 April) new technical rules on fishing activities and catching methods allowed within EU waters, confirming that the use of electric currents or 'pulse fishing' will be illegal from mid-2021.
UK, Dutch spy agencies curb intel flow to Austria over Russia ties
British and Dutch spy agencies have heavily restricted the amount of intelligence they share with Austria, mainly because of ties between the ruling far-right Freedom Party and Russia, an Austrian opposition lawmaker said on Tuesday (9 April).
Franco-Dutch plastic ‘coalition of the willing’ takes shape
The French and Dutch governments have both penned national pacts that go beyond what EU rules on plastic waste stipulate. On Friday (5 April), they kicked off a process they hope will culminate in a European Plastics Summit in 2020.
Belgium opens way toward fair tax on aviation pollution
Belgium’s proposal for Europe to tax aviation is most welcome and could address the current measures that are inadequate to address climbing emissions, writes Bill Hemmings.
Dutch increase Air France-KLM stake to counter French influence
The Netherlands announced on Tuesday (26 February) the surprise purchase of a stake in Air France-KLM, saying it needed to protect Dutch interests after a series of rows about the alliance's management.
EU approves ban on electric pulse fishing from 2021
The European Parliament and EU member states clinched an agreement late last night (13 February) over new technical conservation measures for fishing, which includes an EU-wide ban on the controversial pulse trawling starting from mid-2021.
Dutch government to appeal landmark climate ruling, again
The Dutch government is taking its fight against a landmark climate change verdict to the Supreme Court. EURACTIV's partner Climate Home News reports.
Dutch climate change ambition is insufficient, court confirms
A Dutch appeals court on Tuesday (9 October) instructed the government to cut greenhouse gas emissions at a faster rate than planned, meaning they will have to be 25% below 1990 levels by the end of this decade.
Netherlands to veto the opening of accession negotiations with Albania
The Dutch parliament blocked on Thursday (21 June) the opening of EU accession negotiations with Albania. The EU summit will decide on 28-29 June whether to open negotiations with Macedonia and Albania.
Shakespeare in trouble: Dutch fret about English on campus
The growing popularity of English as a medium of instruction at Dutch universities is ringing alarm bells among local lecturers and students, with some now even calling for government intervention.
Dutch government appeals against court ruling over emissions cuts
The Dutch government has launched a bid to overturn a landmark climate ruling, arguing that judges in The Hague “sidelined democracy” when they ordered a 25% cut in carbon emissions by 2020. EURACTIV's partner The Guardian reports.
Dutch call for ‘high’ emissions standards on trucks, cars
The Netherlands have called on Europe to aim high on emissions standards for trucks and cars, ahead of a much-anticipated proposal from the European Commission today (17 May), which will impose CO2 targets on trucks for the first time.
Europe grapples with Dutch gas production ‘collapse’
For the first time, the Netherlands became a net importer of gas last year, reflecting the inexorable decline in production from Europe’s North Sea fields – an issue EU policymakers are only starting to come to terms with.
German air defence unit put under Dutch control as military ties deepen
The German military on Wednesday (4 April) put a short-range air defence unit with about 450 soldiers under Dutch command, further deepening ties between the two NATO allies.
IEA analyst: A heating and cooling target ‘could make a big difference’
As talks on the EU’s renewable energy rules resume, one of the main talking points is how to decarbonise the heating sector, and deploy technologies like heat pumps and district heating. The International Energy Agency’s Ute Collier told EURACTIV in an interview that the task is complex and difficult.
Dutch offshore wind farms first in world to go subsidy-free
The Dutch government has begun to follow through on its renewable energy pledges by awarding Swedish firm Vattenfall two contracts for what will be the world’s first wind farms to be built entirely without public money.
Cross-border nuclear cooperation must improve, Dutch watchdog warns
The Dutch Safety Board has concluded that cross-border cooperation on nuclear safety between the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany leaves a lot to be desired. A new report warns that the current state-of-play could lead to “confusion and unrest” among the population in the event of an incident.
Scientists demand end to crop-based biofuels
A group of 177 Dutch scientist have signed a letter urging the Netherlands to back a complete phase-out of crop-based biofuels at European level, calling them a “false solution to climate problems”.