DutchNews.nl - Comment: Good Europeans

So perhaps now the time is right to starting piling on a bit of pressure on behalf of all those Europeans in Holland who would not have had a vote even if there had been a referendum here.

For while Brussels likes to involve itself in the dubious practise of forcing schools to put their text book shopping lists out to European tender and while members of the European parliament vote not to put their ridiculously generous expenses system up for public scrutiny - life is not getting any easier for the ordinary European.

Take pensions, for example. To claim a full Dutch state pension, you need to have lived here since the age of 15. No other European country is so tough.

The Netherlands also expects people to swap their perfectly good 'foreign' European driving licence for a good 'Dutch' one - not that the European courts agree.

And then there are the Europeans who have no say over what is done with their tax money because they have no vote in the country that they are living in - even if they have been there for decades.

Now we've got the treaty settled, it is time to ensure equal rights for Europeans who actually live and work in a single market.

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Readers' comments

Thing is, even when NL does comply with EU regulations, for example, in not requiring EU citizens to have a resident's permit, yer average ambtenaar doesn't know that and won't acknowledge its truth even when you flash the official papers at him. Civil servants, and employers, have demanded that I have a resident's permit at passport control, when getting married, when spot-checked by traffic police - they are clearly uncomfortable with the idea of all these foreigners being allowed to function without being restricted by red tape. As far as I see it, NL is no more European minded that GB - thing is, yer NLer has a more positive (though as always, inaccurate) stereotype than yer Brit.

By Alex | July 10, 2008 3:49 PM

I'm a UK citizen who has been living in Amsterdam for 2 years. I started a business, employ 2 people and I'm contributing a lot to the Belastingdienst! Oh, and my son was born here and is of course, Dutch.

I refuse to change my license (what's wrong with my EU UK one?). The pension is a pain, but that's probably a 21st century problem for all countries.

But what really incenses me is that I can not take part in the democratic process here. I can't think of any country with such strict voting rules.

The phrase "No Taxation Without Representation!" is orginally American, and led to the Boston Tea Party, and eventually independence... I think it's time the Dutch Government got wise. Or it will be the Douwe Egberts in the Amstel from us disgruntled taxpayers.

Who's in for a pressure group?

G. Washington
Amsterdam

By George Washington | July 10, 2008 5:14 PM

With you on that one G. I can't wait to get stopped with my British licence and see what happens.

By Shirley | July 10, 2008 5:32 PM

if you register your EU-type English licence with the RWD then it's officially valid in NL for 10 years. The policeman who stops you won't know this though, so you'll have to explain it to him and/or carry around the letter the RWD sends you after you register it.

By Alex | July 18, 2008 12:57 PM

Consider this outrage: I am a US/Italian citizen. I lived in Italy had an Italian licence and then moved to the US for a couple of years. US law requires me to get a US licence. I did so and my Italian licence was lawfully destroyed. The US did not require any driving test or anything since I obviously passed one by having the Italian licence in the first place. I then moved to the Netherlands as is my right under EU law. The Dutch say that my US licence is no good and that I need a Dutch licence, but they will not exchange the US one for a Dutch one. They want me to start all over with driving classes and exams! I am 40 years old and have been driving for over 20 years! Had I moved here directly from Italy I could have exchanged it no problem, but they won't accept the US one - even though I am Italian and have a right to live here!

By Matt | July 18, 2008 5:53 PM

Matt,
Its normal that they don't change your US license for a Dutch one. You can't proof that you had an Italian license because its distroyed. The same would happen if I had the same in Italy.
But I don't understand that you'r Italian license is distroyed in the US. I was for many years in the US and they never distroyed my Dutch license.
Its also not necesary. why should it? You cannot use it there. I always did keep my Dutch license in good shape because its a a well known problem by the European law. I suppose you was just not smart enough :-)

By Johan | September 5, 2008 10:36 PM

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