Dutch warned of legal action over EU election

8 June 2004

AMSTERDAM — The European Commission warned the Dutch government on Tuesday that court action might be taken if the Netherlands goes ahead with its plan to release European election results ahead of the rest of the EU.

A EC spokesman said on Tuesday if the Dutch government publishes the results on Thursday night as planned, the commission will consider legal action “to receive an authoritative interpretation from the courts” of the relevant EU law.

Dutch voters will head to the polls on Thursday, but the EU Parliament elections are spread out across the 25-nation bloc and the last votes will not be lodged until Sunday night, French news agency AFP reported.

The Dutch Interior Ministry has said it is prepared to allow results from the nation’s constituencies to be released by national news agency ANP late Thursday and early Friday. The Dutch electoral commission will issue full official results on Tuesday.

But a European Commission spokesman previously said on Monday a 1976 law stated that EU member states may not release election results before the end of voting across the bloc. This was designed to prevent results in one country influencing voters in another, he said.

Subject: Dutch news + European election