From the traditional and pragmatic perspective on European cooperation shared by the Dutch political establishment, the French initiative for the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) was initially met with scepticism. Yet, during the experiment, the Dutch government and parliament translated their initial reluctance into assertive involvement. Rapporteurs from the bicameral parliament of the Netherlands became actively involved in CoFoE. They used it as an opportunity structure to pursue their political interests, which came down to watering down too-ambitious text proposals and stressing that the active participation of the citizens should be taken seriously. This chapter shows how both Houses used a wide range of parliamentary instruments – rapporteurs, delegations, plenary debates, committee hearings, questions, and a parliamentary citizens’ consultation – to debate, scrutinise and influence the CoFoE. Representatives and staff actively engaged in inter-parliamentary information exchange. In preparation for the plenaries, a sense of ‘esprit de corps’ developed between Dutch government representatives, members of parliament (MPs), Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), and supporting staff. This resulted in a remarkably coherent all-Dutch positioning up until the closure of the Conference and shared disappointment on the lack of a follow-up.
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This article aims to gauge students’ perceptions of the Dutch Party for Animals (PvdD) in order to reflect on the political representation of nonhumans (animals). The support for political representation of nonhumans is based on the ethical underpinning of deep ecology; growing recognition of the importance of sustainability; and increased societal support for animal rights and welfare. This article reflects on these developments using Bachelor students’ assignments from a Sustainable Business course, which asked them to reflect on the underlying principles of the PvdD. Student assignments indicate that educational efforts targeted at fostering ecological citizenship have a positive effect on the recognition and acceptance of ecocentric values. https://doi.org/10.30560/sdr.v1n1p11 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenkopnina/
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This article aims to gauge students’ perceptions of the Dutch Party for Animals (PvdD) in order to reflect on the political representation of nonhumans (animals). The support for political representation of nonhumans is based on the ethical underpinning of deep ecology; growing recognition of the importance of sustainability; and increased societal support for animal rights and welfare. This article reflects on these developments using Bachelor students’ assignments from a Sustainable Business course, which asked them to reflect on the underlying principles of the PvdD. Student assignments indicate that educational efforts targeted at fostering ecological citizenship have a positive effect on the recognition and acceptance of ecocentric values. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-00001660 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenkopnina/
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In May 2018, the new Dutch Intelligence and Security Services Act 2017 (Wet op de Inlichtingen- en veiligheidsdiensten, Wiv) will enter into force. It replaces the previous 2002 Act and incorporates many reforms to the information gathering powers of the two intelligence and security services as well as to the accountability and oversight mechanisms. Due to the technologyneutral approach, both the civil and the military intelligence services are now authorized to, for example, intercept communications in bulk, hack third parties, decrypt files, store DNA or use any other future innovative technology. Also, the national security legislation extends the possibilities for the indiscriminate collection of data, and for the processing, storage and analysis thereof. The process leading to the law includes substantial criticism from the various stakeholders involved. Upon publication of this report, an official consultative referendum is being organized on the new act. The aim of this policy brief is to provide an international audience with a comprehensive overview of the most relevant aspects of the act and its context. In addition, there is considerable focus on the checks and balances as well as the bottlenecks of the Dutch intelligence gathering reform. The selection of topics is based on the core issues addressed during the parliamentary debate and on the authors’ insights.
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This document offers basic information about the European Union and the Council of Europe.
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Het Kenniscentrum Sociale Innovatie van Hogeschool Utrecht doet onderzoek naar de maatschappelijke effecten van de lokale aanpak extremisme. Centraal staat daarbij de vraag: beschikken eerstelijnswerkers over de nodige kennis en begrip om de mate van bereidheid voor (gewelddadig) extremisme en terrorisme van een individu te beoordelen? Vandaag komt het tweede rapport uit in een reeks van drie. Het verkennende onderzoek richt zich op risico-inschattingen van lokale veiligheidsprofessionals aangaande de volgende vraag: in hoeverre is een jongere over wie signalen van vermeende radicalisering binnenkomen, bereid om geweld te gebruiken? In de meeste gevallen gaat het wellicht om vijandige uitingen of gedrag, maar niet om jongeren die voornemens zijn om daadwerkelijk gewelddadige acties te ondernemen. Als zodanig beslissen eerstelijnsprofessionals bij het adresseren van risico’s of bedreigingen tegelijkertijd ook over het recht op vrijheid van meningsuiting. Dan is het wel van groot belang om in kaart te brengen hoe vermeende signalen gewogen en geduid worden op gemeentelijk niveau.
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Presentation given at the online conference Talking the Cyprus Issue Togehter : Maritime Disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean - Session 2
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Bundeling van vijf essays, geschreven door hbo-studenten Social Work. Zij volgden in studiejaar 2023/2024 een half jaar de minor Inclusiviteit in de stad aan de Haagse Hogeschool. In die minor zoomen we in op hedendaagse uitsluitingsmechanismen die bepaalde groepen in onze samenleving extra hard treffen. Het centrale thema van de essays is inclusiviteit. In elk essay is te zien hoe belangrijk dit onderwerp is voor de nieuwe generatie. De auteurs gaan in op de verschillende dimensies van inclusiviteit, variërend van uitsluiting door armoede, door culturele verschillen maar ook door het kiezen van het beroep sekswerk. Uitsluiting heeft een diep effect op het welzijn van mensen, op toegankelijkheid tot instituties en op sociale rechtvaardigheid.
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This study was commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament. It analyses the political and legal dynamics behind referendums on EU-related matters. It argues that we have entered a period of increasing political uncertainty with regard to the European project and that this new political configuration will both affect and be affected by the politics of EU-related referendums. Such referendums have long been a risky endeavour and this has been accentuated in the wake of the Great Recession with its negative ramifications for public opinion in the European Union. It is clear that referendums on EU matters are here to stay and will continue to be central to the EU’s future as they are deployed to determine the number of Member States within the EU, its geographical reach, its constitutional evolution and adherence to EU policies. Only now they have become an even riskier endeavour.
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Moral food lab: Transforming the food system with crowd-sourced ethics
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