Latest blog articles

Last week, the Dutch and Belgian ombudsmen called on their governments to take action in the context of pensions problems for unemployed cross-border workers, aged 65, and living in Belgium. In response to this call, a possible solution by Expertise Centre ITEM is elaborated in this blog.

This blog...

Last month the Council of Ministers debated in its meeting of 16 May 2017 the rule of law situation in Poland. It was the first time that the EU ministers discussed the rule of law in a Member State. 

In his written answers to the European Parliament as well as orally during the hearing to establish his suitability to become first Vice-President of the European Commission, Commissioner Designate Frans Timmermans promises to ensure a common-sense test for all future legislation. I offer some legal...

It was even featured on Dutch television: the State of the Union by Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission on 14 September 2016... This blog is only available in Dutch. 

We speak of a political dialogue if a National Parliament wants to exchange thoughts with the Commission, or has got objections regarding another substance. From the perspective of the legitimacy of the EU it’s a wonderful thing that National Parliaments exchange thoughts with the Commission and...

In 2011 the European Commission announced it would propose a “European Accessibility Act” in 2012. The “Act” was to be an EU instrument which would seek to ensure a free market in products and services which were accessible to people with disabilities.

There was great anger and protest among Dutch politicians after a nuanced interview with Juncker in NRC Handelsblad van January 9^th, 2016, about the referendum on the EU-Ukraine association agreement. The general opinion was: how does Juncker have the courage to participate in the Dutch discussion...

In today’s (15 september 2015) King’s speech the King said that the government will have as a point of departure for its presidency in 2016 of the Council of Ministers, a Europe which functions better and aims at essentials. Furthermore it will work towards an innovative Europe with a well...

On September 9th 2015 the president of the Commission, Juncker, adressed for his first time the European Parliament in his State of the Union.  This year’s State of the Union was entitled: Time for Honesty, Unity and Solidarity. And the key concepts were: more Europe in the Union, and more Union in...