Dutch House of Representatives

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral parliament known as the States General. The States General consists of two chambers: the Senate (Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal) and the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal). The legislature consists of the government and the parliament. 

The House of Representatives in a nutshell

Once every four years the Dutch citizens are entitled to elect the 150 members who will represent them in the House of Representatives. The duties of the House of Representatives include scrutinizing the work of the Government and making new laws in cooperation with the Government. The seat of the Dutch parliament is the Binnenhof in The Hague.

EU affairs

The House of Representatives is involved in various ways with the decision-making in the European Union and has a number of tools and working methods at its disposition to carry out its duties. A key element is the definite role the House of Representatives plays in the preparation of the negotiations between European ministers. Any Dutch minister who is go-ing to attend a meeting of the European Union (a Council of Ministers) has to explain the position of the Netherlands in the negotiations in a letter to the House of Representatives, prior to the Council of Ministers. This is the so-called annotated agenda, which is discussed with the standing committee on the policy area in question. During the debate the responsible standing committee can adjust the Dutch position. Only after the debate with the stand-ing committee does the minister travel to Brussels for the Council of Ministers, meeting with his or her 26 European colleagues. That is how the House of Representatives can exercise influence, through the government, on the European decision making in any possible policy area.

Subsidiarity check – how does this work?

Every year the House of Representatives makes a selection of proposals to be tested against the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. Subsidiarity means that the EU will not act, unless European measures demonstrate clear added value, relative to national measures. Proportionality means that no legislation will be initiated if less far-reaching options are available.

The standing Committee responsible for the assessment of the proposal carries out the sub-sidiarity test. The committee assesses whether the proposal has a sound legal basis and whether the proposal meets the requirements of subsidiarity and proportionality, supported by arguments. After that, the committee’s opinion is put to the vote in a plenary sitting. Subsequently, the House, sometimes together with the Senate, sends a letter to the European Commission, stating Parliament’s subsidiarity and proportionality assessment, with a copy to the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the Dutch government.

The European Commission  always replies to a subsidiarity assessment. The reply from the European Commission is included in the further consideration of the proposal by the House. Actual practice shows that subsidiarity objections from national parliaments are taken into account when the proposal is further elaborated in Brussels. Moreover, this opportunity to exercise influence was formalised in the Lisbon Treaty by the introduction of the so-called yellow and orange cards.

(Information updated on 26.02.2019)

2020 List of EU Priorities 206 KB / 30/06/2020

2021 List of EU Priorities (NL) 104 KB / 27/01/2021

EU Scrutiny 2018 728 KB / 15/03/2018

List of EU Priorities 2018 631 KB / 15/03/2018

2019 List of Priorities 803 KB / 23/01/2019

EU Scrutiny 2016 355 KB / 20/01/2017

EU Scrutiny 2017 429 KB / 20/02/2018

EU Scrutiny 2015 23 KB / 20/01/2017

EU Scrutiny 2014 335 KB / 20/01/2017

EU Scrutiny 2013 2 MB / 20/01/2017

Parliamentary Dimension Dutch EU Presidency 1 January - 1 July 2016 6 MB / 20/12/2018

The House of Representatives at Work 467 KB / 20/01/2017

La Seconde Chambre au Travail 456 KB / 20/01/2017

Die Zweite Kammer an der Arbeit 462 KB / 20/01/2017

The House of Representatives and the EU 650 KB / 20/01/2017