Covenant Senate of the States General
- 2 February 2024
- 1 min
- Open government act
Members of the Senate of the States General (Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal) may encounter intimidation, violence, or other threatening situations because of their position. In the event of such a threat, the Upper House member may shield the visiting address of their company or legal entity (with the exception of a bv or a nv) in the Business Register. A condition for this is that the Senate of the States General has agreed on shielding criteria with KVK. These agreements are set out in a covenant.
When are you eligible?
You are eligible if:
- You are registered as a member of the Senate of the States General.
- You submit a declaration drawn up by the security authority of the Senate of the States General showing that you or your co-occupant:
- has in the past been registered as a member of the Senate of the States General and in that capacity may now still face a probable threat or,
- is a candidate member of the Senate of the States General and in that capacity faces or may face a probable threat.
You can request to shield your visiting address with this form (in Dutch).
Research
A review of several Dutch news reports and studies shows that members of the Senate of the States General face threats because of their positions.
“Onderzoek NOS: Kamerleden voelen zich geïntimideerd, houden mening soms voor ”, Jorn Jonker en Hugo Van Der Parre, (NOS, 20 November 2022).
“Niet eerder zoveel meldingen van bedreiging ”, Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid, nieuwsbericht Openbaar Ministerie (19 May 2023).
Van Hoof, Van Rootjen, Spee en te Brake. ‘Rapport Psychosociale Effecten van Bedreiging en Beveiliging’. ARQ Nationaal Psychotrauma Centrum. 2020.