International

Tuesday saw a debate in the national Senate on Dutch participation in the European public prosecutor’s office (EPPO), an institution that the EU is establishing with the aim of combating international fraud. The SP is, just as is the case for a narrow majority in both houses of the Dutch Parliament, against the country’s participation. A ‘yellow card’ has now been shown, indicating that national parliaments are of the opinion that this is a matter which must be taken out of the hands of the European Commission and considered directly by the member states.

However, in the coalition agreement upon which the government’s programme is based, the governing parties nevertheless agreed to such participation, which would mean that Dutch police detection capacities must be put at the disposal of the EPPO. It is not known what the extent of the demands on the various agencies involved – the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD), police, Public Prosecutor (OM) and the courts – will be, but what’s certain is that there will be major pressure on these Dutch institutions. It is often the case that a long time elapses before such a matter can be completed, and sometimes this doesn’t happen at all. This is why SP Senator Anneke Wezel presented a motion calling on the government to ensure that Dutch participation does not come at the cost of the detection, prosecution or judicial capacities of the Dutch FIOD, OM, or courts. The minister accepted this proposal.