« Home

Home » Politics & International Relations » Hay & Menon: European Politics » Student resources » Member States' relationship to the EU » The Netherlands

Hay & Menon: European Politics

The Netherlands

The Netherlands was one of the founding states of the Benelux Customs Union, established by the exiled governments of Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg in 1944. This aimed to unify the three small economies in order that the small member economies would not suffer from economic isolation during its period of post-war economic reconstruction. This was particularly important for the Netherlands as it urgently needed access to the supplies of coal and steel that both Belgium and Luxembourg could offer. The Dutch government was also one of the keenest advocates of further European integration during the negotiations that preceded the Treaty of Rome, of which it was a signatory. Following the launch of the EC, the Netherlands became one of the strongest supporters of supranational European integration. However, on 1 June 2005 the Dutch electorate voted against ratification of the European Constitutional Treaty, only three days after the French no-vote, effectively ending the prospects of the Constitution's adoption. This was largely interpreted as a result of the poor presentation of the Constitution by the Dutch mainstream political elite. Since the no-vote, Dutch PM Jan Peter Balkenende, has consistently opposed any attempts to hold another referendum on the European Constitution.