The Netherlands country update, May 2025
The Civil Society Organisations Transparency Act (WTMO) was adopted by the House of Representatives on 1 April and is now pending approval in the Senate. It aims to prevent undesirable foreign influence on CSOs by giving the mayor, the public prosecutor, and other designated government agencies the authority to make targeted inquiries about foreign donations from a CSO. While amendments to the law strengthened certain safeguards and reduced the risk of overburdening CSOs, the core issues concerning freedom of association, right to privacy and the stigmatisation of civil society remain in the proposal.
The Administrative Prohibition Support Organisations Act (WBVOO) would allow the justice minister to ban so-called subversive organisations, defined in the law as those that “create, promote, or perpetuate a culture of lawlessness, with the result that they pose a serious threat to public security and public authority”. The law aims to target organised crime groups but also risks arbitrary decisions that could be used to stifle dissent and criminalise CSOs. The State Council has criticised both proposals for restricting fundamental rights without justification of their effectiveness, necessity and proportionality.
The law on online incited public disorder is currently under consultation. It would give mayors more power to remove and restrict online content that calls for activities that promote disruptions of public order”. Additionally, concerns have been raised regarding police tactics, surveillance practices, and the proportionality of police force used against protesters, particularly during environmental protests and protests expressing solidarity with Palestine. The National Ombudsman has launched an investigation into police’s home visits to protesters, warning of privacy concerns and a chilling effect on civic participation.
The government is exploring a ban on face-covering clothing at protests, while some in the House of Representatives have been targeting the environmental group Extinction Rebellion, calling for the removal of the group’s charitable tax status.
