After Brexit, the Netherlands must Work more Closely with Spain and Italy. After the Brexit, the Netherlands has to look for new allies.
It can be read in a Friday published advice from the Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV) at the request of the House of Representatives.
Traditionally the Netherlands is on a par with the Northern European countries,
the Benelux countries and the Baltic States, but they do not form a majority within the EU.
Therefore, the focus should be on better collaboration with large Member States such as Spain and Italy.
In Europe, the Netherlands could usually count on the support of the United Kingdom when it came to plans for trade,
the European multiannual budget or to curb pro-European policies of France and Germany.
Member States face many new challenges such as migration, climate and security.
Now that this assistance is being cut off by the Brexit, the Netherlands has to look for new allies within the Union, stated in the advisory report.
The Spaniards and Italians are called “not beforehand like-minded” by the Advisory Council, but cooperation is “both desirable and vital”.
With Brexit, the Netherlands loses an important ally
In the climate area, the Netherlands should focus more on Sweden, Finland, France, Germany and the Benelux.
When economic cooperation and the euro are being debated, the Netherlands will do well to keep the Germans and French friends in particular.
“With the Brexit, the Netherlands loses an alliance in the United Kingdom in significant areas such as the internal market,
trade policy and effective budget management”, writes the Advisory Council.
With the multi-annual budget for the EU for the years 2021 – 2027 in prospect,
due to the separation of the British, it should be brought into account that less money is paid.
That account will be on the sign of the other member states.
The Advisory Council believes that the Netherlands should join this group in the group of “economic modernisers”.
It means that the Netherlands must set strict circumstances in drafting the budget,
such as a well-functioning constitutional state of the member states, better cooperation in the field of migration and simplification of the budget.
The latter can be accomplished by lowering the substantial agricultural subsidies.