COUNTRY FOCUS
meetings, the Netherlands has urged taking fi rm action with
countries that allow their fi nances to get out of control. Thanks
in part to our eff orts the EU has introduced sanctions for
countries that do not keep to their agreements, and a European
Commissioner has been designated to oversee budgetary
discipline in the euro countries.
The EU is expected to reach agreement on the multiannual
budget for 2014-2020 by the end of 2012. The budget sets
the limits for how much money the EU can spend during the
period in question, and specifi es where that money should go.
Like the other member states and the European Parliament,
the Netherlands must approve a new multiannual budget.
The Netherlands is in favour of a frugal EU budget, with an
emphasis on boosting growth and competitiveness.
Labour migration
Since the opening of its internal borders, EU citizens can
live and work elsewhere in Europe. In recent years many
Eastern Europeans have left their countries to come to live and
work in the Netherlands. It is a challenge for the Netherlands
to integrate these newcomers into Dutch society. Conversely,
many Dutch people have found work elsewhere in the EU.
Open borders and fi ghting crime
Dutch people should feel safe in the European Union.
The Netherlands, therefore, believes that the EU should pay
attention to issues like cybersecurity, counterterrorism and the
fi ght against organised crime (including human traffi cking).
The Netherlands would also like the EU to do more to improve
data exchange and data protection.
Although there is free movement of persons within much
of the EU, it is important for the member states to stick to
the agreements they have made on this point. The countries
where border controls for people have been abolished (known
collectively as the Schengen countries) have also made joint
agreements on visa policy, asylum policy and cooperation
between the police and criminal justice authorities.
Bulgaria and Romania would like to become part of the
Schengen Area. In assessing this issue, the Netherlands will
take account of how much progress these countries have made
in strengthening the rule of law and fi ghting corruption and
organised crime.
Telecommunications
EU citizens and companies should be able to count on
reliable, aff ordable and accessible internet, television and
telephony throughout Europe. This is why the Netherlands
and the EU are working to achieve a European internal
digital market. For example, the EU is formulating open ICT
standards that everyone in the member states can make use
of. The EU is also trying to reduce the costs of international
phone calls, texting and use of the internet.
Competition on the EU market promotes innovation
in telecommunication networks. The EU has laid down
directives in the area of market regulation and supervision.
It has also set conditions concerning consumer protection
and privacy.
Transport
Transport is a major sector for the EU in terms of growth
and employment. Eff ective transport systems are important
for keeping Dutch companies compete globally. Two of
Europe’s main transport hubs are located here: Schiphol
Airport and the port of Rotterdam, which are used by many
countries for the transport of goods.
The Netherlands also wants to tie in with economic
developments at major ports beyond its borders, such as the
port of Antwerp and the ‘brainports’ of Aachen and Liège. (A
‘brainport’ is a geographical region involved in exploiting and
exporting knowledge, such as the region around Eindhoven.)
Open internal borders present new opportunities. For
example, Dutch entrepreneurs can now hire Eastern European
transport fi rms to ship their goods.
Education, research and evaluation of diplomas
Europe wants to cultivate itself as a knowledge-based
society that can compete in the global economy. This means it
is essential to have top-fl ight education, training and research.
EU countries make their own education and research policy,
though they do come together to set general goals and share
good practices.
The EU also fi nances exchange programmes for students,
lecturers and researchers. The EU promotes innovation by
ensuring that people can study and work wherever they can
best apply their knowledge.
For people to study and work abroad, standards of
education should be comparable across the continent, and
foreign diplomas should be properly evaluated. Thanks in part
to member state agreements, each country has an agency for
this purpose. In the Netherlands, this body is the International
Credential Evaluation (IDW) service.
Agriculture and rural development
Around 80 percent of all laws and rules pertaining to
agriculture in the Netherlands are the result of agreements
made by the EU member states. European agriculture
policy deals with matters such as providing income support
to farmers, ensuring stable and cost-eff ective prices for
agricultural products, and promoting rural conservation.
One of the main goals of the European common fi sheries
policy is the prevention of overfi shing.
Source: https://www.government.nl/topics/european-union/
the-netherlands-and-the-eu-policy-areas
24 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 4 • April-May 2019, Noida