House of Representatives news

Is the Dutch parliamentary system in need of adjustment? This is the question that the government committee chaired by Johan Remkes has been addressing throughout the past year. On Thursday 13 December, the committee presented its recommendations in a final report. Earlier this year, on Thursday 21 June 2018, it published an interim report on the status of its investigation.

In the second week of December, a delegation of members of the Dutch House of Representatives attended the UN Climate Summit (COP 24) in the Polish city of Katowice. On Wednesday 12 December, the Economic Affairs and Climate Committee and the Benelux Parliament launched a ‘National Parliaments for EU Climate Ambition’. This was the first meeting of an inter-parliamentary lead group that will focus on EU climate policy. In this lead group, national parliament members from EU member states will discuss the necessity of an ambitious EU climate policy and exchange national developments and challenges relating to climate.

In general, the cabinet-formation process of 2017 proceeded in an orderly fashion, despite is protracted duration. This provides evidence that the procedure as amended in 2012, which is directed by the House of Representatives, can also be applied under difficult circumstances. “This report lays a solid foundation for a subsequent cabinet formation, as well as for a subsequent generation of politicians,” observed Khadija Arib, Speaker of the House of Representatives, who received the first copy of the report on the investigation.

On Tuesday, 4 September 2018, the Finance Committee of the Dutch House of Representatives sent a letter to the United States Congress in which it expressed its worries about the situation of so-called 'accidental Americans'.

On Thursday, 7 June 2018, Ms S.M. (Simone) Roos was sworn in as Secretary General of the House of Representatives, at the beginning of the afternoon sitting of the House. In its sitting of 29 May 2018, the House of Representatives had approved Simone Roos' appointment as Secretary General, with effect from 11 June 2018.

Involving citizens in overseeing the government: that was the purpose of the meeting of the citizens' panel V100 in the House of Representatives on Friday, 18 May 2018. On that day, citizens were given the opportunity to pose questions about the ministries' annual reports, concerning a number of pre-selected topics. Two days earlier, on Wednesday, 16 May, it was Accountability Day, the counterpart of Prince's Day, in the House of Representatives. On Accountability Day, instead of debating plans, the House examines how these plans have been implemented. That is why Accountability Day is an important moment for Parliament's scrutiny of the work of the government.

On Thursday, 19 April 2018, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited The Hague. The president of the House of Representatives, Ms Khadija Arib, and the president of the Senate, Ms Ankie Broekers-Knol, received him in the historical Stadholder's Room in the building of the House of Representatives. Mr Stoltenberg also met with members of the Foreign Affairs and Defence committees of both chambers.

On History of The Hague Day, Saturday, 14 April 2018, the House of Representatives will open the doors of its Proceedings Room ("Handelingenkamer"). This historical library is only rarely open to the public, the previous occasion was on Heritage Day, 9 September 2017.

On Thursday March 22 at approximately 12 noon, an incident happened on the public gallery of the Plenary Hall at the House of Representatives. A man jumped down onto the floor of the Hall from the public gallery. Police officers, security personnel and emergency response officers were quickly at the scene. The victim was transported to hospital by ambulance for treatment.

Since Tuesday, 6 February 2018, a replica of the Act of Abjuration (Plakkaat van Verlatinghe), the unofficial declaration of independence of the Netherlands from 1581, is on display near the Plenary Hall of the House of Representatives. The President of the House, Ms Arib, was the first to take a look at the replica. "The Act of Abjuration tells us who we are", said Arib.

On Tuesday afternoon, 9 January 2018, members of the standing committee on European Affairs had a meeting with Michel Barnier. This Frenchman is the chief Brexit negotiatior on behalf of the European Commission. The MPs discussed with him the progress in the negotiations on Britain's withdrawal from the European Union (EU).

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In what direction should the European Union be heading? Should it strive for more cooperation in more fields? Or should it strive for less cooperation, of more efficiency? What topics should be given priority? Dutch Members of Parliament will discuss these and more issues with a number of experts as well as representatives from EU institutions, such as Mr Frans Timmermans, first Vice-President of the European Commission.

Members of Parliament are unable to monitor the EU effectively at present. This is particularly true of the consultations and negotiations between member states on new European legislation in areas such as agriculture, pensions and migration policy. Documents are not routinely made public, for example.

The Netherlands must be pepared for there being no agreement with the United Kingdom (UK) after Brexit. This is the the so-called chaos scenario, in which the UK leaves the European Union (EU) without a transition period and without any arrangements regarding the new EU-UK relationship.