The chairman of the employers association VNO-NVW says that the Netherlands should introduce the principle of registered shareholders, so that companies can approach investors directly when under attack.

In an interview with today’s Financieele Dagblad, Bernard Wientjes says the measure would help protect Dutch companies.
In the US, for example, a company which is being targeted by activist shareholders can write to all other investors explaining their long-term plans, Wientjes said. ‘In the Netherlands it is harder to reach them.’