From July 1, telephone marketing companies will no longer be allowed to make cold calls to consumers or freelancers and will only be allowed to approach people who have expressly given their consent.

Companies will be able to phone people who are currently or used to be a client, but all other calls – from electricity companies to good causes – require explicit permission.

In addition, call centres will no longer be able to hide behind a protected number and will have to give the people they do call permission an opt out at the start of the call.

The new ruling will be a relief to thousands of freelancers who get cold calls via their legally-required listing in the chamber of commerce records.

DutchNews.nl reported earlier this week that the KvK generated revenue of more than €3.3m in the six years up to 2019 when it bundled and sold details of companies, mostly to direct marketing firms.

The legislation will also make it easier for the consumers authority ACM to regulate the sector. ‘That is exactly what we are going to do,’ spokeswoman Saskia Bierling told the AD.

We get many reports of these unwanted calls every year,’ she said. ‘And this subject has been top of the list of consumer irritations for years. That is why the new rules have been brought in.’