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Dutch Social Democrats suggest alternative for Schengenagreement

01 July 1991

The Dutch Social Democrat Party (PvdA), which together with the Christian Democrat CDA constitute the present Dutch government, has expressed its deep dissatisfaction with the cabinet's decision to go ahead with the ratification procedures on the Schengen agreement. At the end of May, the cabinet decided to ignore the negative advice given by the government's supreme advisory council, 'Raad van State', on the ratification of the Schengen treaty (see Statewatch No 2, p.5). Social Democrat MP Maarten van Traa has contacted his colleagues in Belgium and Germany in order to bring together an alternative text for Schengen. Attention would be focused on improving the arrangements for political asylum, on installing an impartial European court to settle conflicts caused by Schengen arrangements, and on better protection of privacy in exchanging police information. Both the leftwing and the rightwing liberal parties have expressed their support for the initiative, which theoretically would give it a majority support in parliament, however most observers give the initiative little chance of success.