The Netherlands move towards Cameron on the EU

Jonathan Lindsell, 24 June 2013

A series of announcements and leaks on Friday (21 June) reveal that the Dutch government is moving much closer to the conservative Prime Minister’s position. The Dutch were one of the six original founding members of the European Economic Community, so their 22-page ‘subsidiarity review’, which has substantial overlap with Cameron’s Bloomberg speech, carries diplomatic import.

Cameron’s January calls for a rethink on the EU were met with only cautious acknowledgement from the key economies. Angela Merkel indicated a willingness to consider problems, but both France and Germany snubbed the UK by refusing to contribute to William Hague’s review of the ‘Balance of Competences’. Meanwhile Cameron’s charm offensive was cut short by the death of Baroness Thatcher, so he missed meetings with Francois Hollande (France) and Mariano Rajoy (Spain).

The press release from the Dutch government, a coalition between Mark Rutte’s Liberal (VVD) and the Dutch Labour party (PvdA), is thus a coup for the Tories’ renegotiation strategy.  The announcement begins:

“The Netherlands is convinced that the time of an ‘ever closer union’ in every possible policy area is behind us.”

Foreign Minister Frans Timmerman (PvdA) presented his department’s findings to parliament, calling for ‘European where necessary, national where possible’. His rhetoric mirrors that of Cameron strongly, even borrowing the phrase ‘creeping competences’ in the full study (translation).

There remains one note of caution: Timmerman explicitly ruled out desire for actual treaty change.  Nevertheless, many of the Dutch principles could well have featured in a Tory document:

– Stronger informal checks on the Commission’s ability to initiate legislation beyond that explicitly permitted in the treaties
– Greater emphasis on subsidiarity – ‘Wherever possible, member states should be given scope to use the means that are most effective in their specific situation in attaining the end in view’
– Extended use of impact assessments, on-going evaluation and sunset clauses
– A rebalancing of power between member states and the European Court of Justice over EU law, allowing national governments to clarify laws that have been interpreted in unforeseen/unintended ways.

The document also sets out over 50 specific demands. Many of these address Dutch-specific concerns, but are still welcome: for example, Timmerman is unhappy at how the Eurozone’s Financial Transaction Tax will affect Dutch pensions, which were meant to be exempt. Sympathy for ‘parties outside the FTT area’ is expressed, as is frustration that funds raised by the tax will not flow back to member states.

Numerous points of general Eurosceptic agreement are raised, including a desire to freeze EU salaries, to limit the EU’s budget and spending strategy, and to allow greater national control of migration.