ABSTRACT
This chapter charts the evolution of Dutch membership of the European Union (EU) over time, focusing on the legal and political factors that have shaped this evolution. The Netherlands – one of the six founding member states – has consistently been a strong supporter of European cooperation and integration. As a small trading nation, the desirability of an ever-closer union was long taken for granted. This changed only at the end of the last century, when, in response to the EU's involvement in more and more policy areas, Eurosceptic voices on the left and right flanks of the political spectrum became increasingly vocal. Nevertheless, Dutch government bodies and judges apply EU law without any reservations. Dutch constitutional culture can be described as pragmatic, based more on historical political consensus than abstract legal concepts. The Constitution, which rarely plays a role in public debate, does not contain specific rules regarding the EU or Union law. Not least because of the absence of constitutional review by the courts, doctrines regarding national constitutional identity and counter-limits to European integration have never been developed.
