International

SP Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel is demanding that Secretary of State for European Affairs Atzo Nicolaï resist any further attempts by the European Commission to interfere in Dutch criminal law. “The application of criminal law and punishment of criminals is a national competence in which Brussels has no right to meddle," said Mr Van Bommel. "Member states are surely capable of dealing with this themselves."

The European Commission announced today that the abuse of intellectual property must be dealt with more severely under criminal law. As far as Harry van Bommel is concerned, "there is absolutely no reason to think in terms of a European-level obligation to adopt a harsher approach, given that national criminal law systems already offer sufficient space to do so."

Van Bommel has responded to the Commission's statement by asking the Secretary of State for clarification of the government's position.