The Netherlands just issued two friendly reports on Brexit

The author discusses the findings of two reports from Dutch organisations on Brexit published in March 2017. He suggests that both can be seen as a boost to the UK in its quest for market access to the EU market after Brexit.

One report was commissioned by the Dutch Parliament. Guarantee the rights of Dutch citizens in the United Kingdom and preserve the close trading relationship with the United Kingdom. Those were two of a total of five recommendations in the report delivered by Members of Parliament Marit Maij (PvdA) and Pieter Omtzigt (CDA) on the 21 March 2017 about the intended exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union (EU).

The second report was requested by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV) that would examine the following questions:

+ From the Netherlands’ perspective, what should be the key elements of the new bilateral relationship with the United Kingdom?
+ From a Community perspective, what key elements should be part of the EU’s new relationship with the United Kingdom?
+ What implications do the elements referred to in the previous two questions have for Dutch interests and the formation of coalitions within Europe?
+ What should the Dutch government’s aims be in its bilateral relationship with the UK in the next several years?

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Is a Nexit now on the cards? What the UK’s referendum means for the Netherlands [The EU Referendum, 23 June 2016. The United Kingdom and the European Union. The results. Reaction in The Netherlands] http://www.europeansources.info/record/is-a-nexit-now-on-the-cards-what-the-uks-referendum-means-for-the-netherlands-the-eu-referendum-23-june-2016-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union-the-results-reaction-in-the-nether/

ESO: In Focus: Brexit - The United Kingdom and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union/

Website: Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV) http://aiv-advies.nl/63l/home

The Netherlands: Parliament: House of Representatives: News, 21.03.17: Rapporteurs present recommendations regarding Brexit https://www.houseofrepresentatives.nl/news/rapporteurs-present-recommendations-regarding-brexit

The Economist, 31.03.18: How the Dutch will take Britain’s place in Europe https://www.economist.com/news/europe/21739669-netherlands-brexit-threatand-opportunity-how-dutch-will-take-britains-place

The Guardian, 19.01.18: [Opinion]: Europe must wake up to the drastic consequences of a hard Brexit https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/19/europe-wake-up-drastic-financial-consequences-hard-brexit-netherlands-uk

Dutch News.nl, 18.01.18: A hard Brexit will increase Dutch firms’ import/export bills up to €620m http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2018/01/a-hard-brexit-will-increase-dutch-firms-importexport-bills-up-to-e620m/

Politico, 21.11.17: Brexit smiles on the Dutch — so far https://www.politico.eu/article/brexit-smiles-on-the-dutch-so-far/

Dutch Review, 05.12.17: 3 Ways the Brexit is bad for the Netherlands https://dutchreview.com/featured/brexit-is-bad-for-the-netherlands/

The Netherlands: Parliament: House of Representatives: Standing Committee on European Affairs, March 2017: The Netherlands and Brexit https://www.tweedekamer.nl/sites/default/files/atoms/files/the_netherlands_and_brexit.pdf

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