European Commission 17 July 2026, COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2026 Rule of Law Report Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in the Netherlands Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2026 Rule of Law Report The rule of law situation in the European Union

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This European Commission Staff Working Document constitutes the 2026 Rule of Law Report country chapter for the Netherlands, assessing the state of judicial independence, anti-corruption frameworks, media freedom, and institutional checks and balances under the Commission's annual rule of law monitoring mechanism. The report identifies significant progress on judicial working conditions and legal aid funding, limited progress on lobbying transparency (with a legislative proposal expected by autumn 2026), and some progress on public service media reform, while noting ongoing legislative proposals to remove ministerial instruction powers over the Public Prosecution Service, introduce constitutional review of fundamental rights, and establish post-employment restrictions for ministers and state secretaries. The Commission issues two outstanding recommendations: enacting legislative provisions for stricter lobbying transparency rules applicable to members of Government and Parliament, and advancing work to uphold journalistic standards within public service media.AI