International

‘Geen Peil’, a coalition of organisations and individuals which includes the Citizens’ Committee-EU and the Forum for Democracy, has collected in excess of the 300,000 signatures required under Dutch law for a referendum on the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. It is likely that the referendum on the national law approving the treaty will be held early in the new year.

Commenting on the successful campaign to collect signatures for the petition, SP leader Emile Roemer said that he was delighted with the outcome. ‘The people from Geen Peil, who took the initiative in this, deserve a huge compliment. They have worked hard to gather more than 300,000 signatures for a referendum on an important EU treaty with Ukraine. It’s important and a good thing that Dutch people will at last once again get to comment on the issue of whether there should be more or less interference from the EU. People don’t feel involved in Europe as it is now. This referendum is meaningful because the Dutch electorate will have the chance – for the first time since 2005 – to express their views on the future of Europe.’