The Netherlands is one of several countries which is opposed to new EU laws on the availability of lawyers during criminal investigations, the NRC reports.

European justice commissioner Viviane Reding presented the proposals to EU ministers on Friday. The aim of the proposals is to guarantee that suspects have access to a lawyer from the moment of their arrest to the end of the legal process.
In the Netherlands at the moment suspects only have the right to legal representation while being questioned by police.
Sources told the NRC that Dutch objections rest on the expected increase in the size of the legal aid bill.
Belgium, France, Britain and Ireland also have objections to the plan, saying it will hamper police investigations.