The Netherlands and EU policy areas

Foreign and security policy

The European Union has a Common Foreign and Security Policy. Speaking with a single voice gives the EU greater weight in the world. In principle this also benefits the Netherlands. Therefore the Netherlands does what it can to maximise its influence, so that our interests make it onto the agenda. The Netherlands has a direct interest in international stability and security, energy and resource security and the international legal order. These are also policy areas to which we can contribute specific knowledge, for example in the field of water management or food security.

The EU plays an important role in peacekeeping operations, conflict prevention and strengthening the international legal order. The European civil and military missions support efforts to promote peace and security, provide stability and build resilience in fragile countries.

Security, defence and support to Ukraine

Growing geopolitical tensions and the threat posed by Russia have increased the need for EU member states to protect themselves. This requires action from Europe, in terms of strengthening armed forces, stepping up defence cooperation and boosting the European defence industry. All this will enhance the member states’ readiness, improve their striking power, and allow them to continue giving Ukraine military support.

The Netherlands believes that the EU has an important role to play in enhancing the defence and deterrence capabilities of its member states and of NATO, above all by means of active defence industry policy and greater resilience. The Netherlands and the EU will continue providing undiminished political, military, financial and moral support to Ukraine for as long as it takes, both while the war continues and in the recovery and reconstruction phase.

For the Netherlands, strengthening European civil resilience and internal security is equally important. Enhancing military capabilities must go hand in hand with boosting investment in civil preparedness. A resilient society has a deterrent effect and is less vulnerable to external aggression. 

Development cooperation

The EU is active in development cooperation. The European Union (EU) and its member states together are the world’s largest donors of development aid. In 2024 they spent €107 billion on official development assistance (ODA), more than half the total worldwide contribution. EU member states not only fund and carry out development projects themselves, they also deliver aid through the EU. They contribute to and help decide on development cooperation programmes delivered by the European Commission through the various financing instruments at its disposal. In this way too, through the EU, the Netherlands is working towards its development cooperation policy goals.

The EU provides humanitarian aid through its Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO).

Competitiveness

The EU needs to strengthen its competitiveness. The EU has benefited in recent decades from a favourable global environment: world trade flourished under multilateral rules, the normalised relations with Russia allowed Europe to import cheap energy, and the geopolitical stability under US leadership benefited America’s allies. That time has now passed: the multilateral trade system is under increasing pressure, the growth of world trade is slowing, the EU is restricting energy imports from Russia as much as possible, and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the deteriorating relations between the US and China have made the geopolitical situation unstable.
 
Economic cooperation within the EU has brought the Netherlands enormous growth and prosperity. But the Netherlands’ competitiveness is under pressure from developments such as sluggish productivity growth, a fragmented geopolitical climate and relatively high energy prices. To address this we need to pool resources to enhance the Netherlands’ competitiveness, and invest in research and innovation. In this connection, the EU and the member states also need to take more responsibility for the Union’s further development as a geopolitical and geoeconomic player. This should help achieve greater prosperity and reduce countries’ high-risk strategic dependencies, for example in the area of critical raw materials and products. The Netherlands’ goal, for example, is to minimise the EU’s dependence on countries outside Europe when it comes to critical medicines and medical products. The Netherlands will therefore focus on further deepening the single market and enhancing EU trade policy, as well as promoting green growth and investing in research and innovation.

Financial and monetary policy

A competitive EU will only succeed if all member states pursue sound financial and economic policy. This explicitly includes reducing high levels of government debt. In 2023, the EU member states agreed on stricter rules to improve the budgetary and financial situation in the EU. The Netherlands stresses the importance of sound financial and economic policy.
 
In order to complete the single market and boost competitiveness, the Netherlands is in favour of completing the Capital Markets Union (CMU). A more integrated European capital market is essential for a competitive and resilient EU. It will offer more financing options for businesses and help mobilise capital for green and digital investments.
 
The EU member states are expected to reach agreement on the multiannual budget for the period from 2028 to 2034 in 2026 or 2027. The budget sets out how much money the EU can spend during that time, and specifies where that money should go. All the member states and the European Parliament must approve the new multiannual budget. The Netherlands is in favour of a moderate and modernised EU budget, with an emphasis on growth and competitiveness, security and defence, and asylum and migration.

Asylum and migration

After Malta, the Netherlands is the most densely populated country in Europe, and its population is still growing. This is causing issues in various areas, including the housing market, the healthcare sector, and education, and that in turn is affecting social cohesion in our country.
 
The Netherlands will therefore work at European level to reduce the number of asylum applications and improve the arrangements for returning those asylum seekers whose applications have been denied. To achieve this we need strict EU asylum policy that is properly enforced. The government is therefore prioritising the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, effective protection of the EU’s external borders, the negotiations on the proposed Return Regulation, and innovative solutions to the migration issue.
 
In order to get the migration influx under control and manage the return process effectively, we will also need broad partnerships with countries of origin and transit. In addition, the government is pressing for fair labour mobility and wants to gain more control over labour migration. To this end, it is working in several areas: clarification of the legal framework for the secondment of workers from non-EU countries, proper registration of labour migrants (but without creating unnecessary red tape) and stricter cross-border enforcement.

The digital transition

The digital transition is a priority of the current European Commission. This has led to many key legislative proposals such as the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, the AI Act, the Data Act and the Cyber Resilience Act. The Netherlands supports this ambitious agenda, as it is necessary to keep pace with other strong global players in the current age of digitalisation and technological innovation. Within the digital agenda the Netherlands works on a large number of topics, including digital innovation and skills; the functioning of digital markets and services; safe, highly innovative and reliable digital infrastructure; cybersecurity; and digital partnerships and cooperation with non-EU countries.

European Green Deal 

The European Union wants to lead the way in green solutions. This is set out in the European Green Deal. The Green Deal is a strategy to transform the EU into a climate-neutral and circular economy, while preserving its growth and competitiveness. It calls on us to leave behind a climate-neutral, fossil-free and circular Netherlands for the next generations. 
The Netherlands is an advocate for an ambitious EU climate policy. All sectors have a role to play in achieving the climate objectives.

Transport

Transport is a major sector for the EU in terms of growth and employment. Efficient transport systems are important for keeping Dutch companies globally competitive. 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 key locations beyond its borders, such as the port of Antwerp and the knowledge hubs of Aachen and Liège.

Open internal borders present many opportunities. For example, Dutch entrepreneurs can hire Eastern European transport firms to ship their goods.

Education and 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-level education, training and research. EU member states make their own education and research policies, but they also work together to set general goals and share good practices.

The EU also finances exchange programmes for students, lecturers and researchers. It 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% of all laws and rules on agriculture in the Netherlands are the result of agreements made by the EU member states. The EU’s common agricultural policy deals with matters such as ensuring food security, greening the agricultural sector, providing income support to farmers, ensuring stable and cost-effective prices for agricultural products and promoting rural conservation.

One of the main goals of the EU’s common fisheries policy is sustainable fisheries.