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| REFERENDUMS
HELD ON EUROPEAN MATTERS: 1
2005
European Constitution (Yes
38,4% - No 61,6% - Turnout 62,8%) |
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CONSTITUTIONAL
CONDITIONS - Constitution
of the Netherlands
Binding referendum requires implementation by constitutional amendment.
Consultative Referendum can anyhow be held if ordered by ad-hoc-law. |
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ARTICLES
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL TREATIES, REFERENDUM AND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Regulation
about a special transfer of sovereignty to EU:
none
Approval
of transfer of sovereignty without effect of constitutional amendment:
Majority of votes from both chambers, Art. 91 I, 67 II ConstNet.
Approval
of transfer of sovereignty with effect of constitutional amendment:
Majority of 2/3 of the votes from both chambers, Art. 92, 91 III
ConstNet.
Approval
of constitutional amendment:
Majority of 2/3 of votes from both chambers after a law declares
the necessity of a constitutional amendment, the disbandment of
both chambers and their re-election, Art. 137 ConstNet.
Other
constitutional regulations about referendums:
none |
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RATING
AND DEBATE
Eurobarometer
(2006), The Future of Europe - Results for the Netherlands,
Special Eurobarometer 251, Fieldwork: 23/02 – 15/03 2006.
(PDF)
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"Because
the new EU treaty is a regular reform treaty, the normal approval
procedure will be followed. The government does not feel that
a referendum is an appropriate instrument.
The
government sees the new treaty as similar to those of Maastricht,
Amsterdam and Nice, and like those earlier treaties, it can
be approved via the normal procedure. The reform treaty will
thus be debated and voted on by parliament." (Normal procedure
for new EU treaty, 21.09.2007 http://www.government.nl)
The
likelihood of the Netherlands holding a referendum on the Reform
Treaty decreased already on 13.09.2007 after the Dutch government
was told by the Council of State that a poll is not necessary
since there is no legal need for a referendum since the new
treaty does not include "constitutional" elements.EUobserver.com
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The
country's second largest political faction, the Labour party,
had come out in favour of ratifying the Reform Treaty by referendum.
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On
08.07.2008
the Dutch Senate voted Tuesday in favour
of the Lisbon Treaty. The treaty was adopted by a majority
of 60 out of 75 votes in the upper house and had the support
of the majority Christian Democrats (CDA), the Liberal Party
(VVD) and the Labour Party (PvdA). The Socialist Party with
11 lawmakers, the Christian SGP party with two, and two one-member
parties; the Party for Animals and Fractie-Yildirim, voted against
the measure. The lower house of parliament gave the Lisbon Treaty
the nod on June 5.
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PROCEDURE
Parliamentary
vote |
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STATE
OF THE PROCEDURE
The parliamentary
ratification was held on 08.07.2008 in the upper house,
where the Lisbon Treaty was
adopted by a majority of 60 out of 75 votes. The ratification in
the lower house of parliament was held on the 05.06.2006 (111 votes
in favour and 39 against). |
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RELEVANT
DOCUMENTS AND MATERIAL
Pijpers, A.
(2007), Neue
Nüchternheit und kritische Öffentlichkeit – die
Niederlande und die europäische Integration, Integration,
4/07, Oktober 2007. (German) (PDF)
Minister of
Foreign Affairs and the Minister for European Affairs (2007), Dutch
aims for discussions on amending European treaties, Letter to
the House of Representatives on the status of discussion on a new
European treaty, 19.03.2007. (HTML) |
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