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Nationality and Access to Employment in the Public Service: Law and Practice in the Netherlands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2009

C.A. Groenendijk
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Extract

The development of nation States has led to a growing importance of nationality, to the expansion of the services provided by the State and to an improvement in the status of persons working in the public service. Each of these developments in the past provided grounds for the idea that only individuals possessing the nationality of the State could perform tasks in the public service.

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Articles
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Netherlands International Law Review , Volume 36 , Issue 2 , August 1989 , pp. 107 - 130
Copyright
Copyright © T.M.C. Asser Press 1989

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References

1. See Handoll, J., ‘Article 48(4) EEC and Non-National Access to Employment’, European Law Rev. (1988) pp. 223–241Google Scholar.

2. Art. 25 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Art. 1(2) International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, and Art. 13 European Convention on Establishment.

3. See Handoll, , loc.cit. n. 1, p. 225Google Scholar.

4. Act of 4 June 1858, Stb. 1858 No. 46.

5. Art. 2, para. 2 reads: ‘Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country’.

6. Ministry of Internal Affairs, Proeve van een nieuwe grondwet (1966) p. 59Google Scholar.

7. Ministry of Internal Affairs, Tweede rapport van de Staatscommissie van advies inzake de Grondwet en de Kieswet (1969) p. 54Google Scholar.

8. Ministry of Internal Affairs, Algemene grondwetsherziening (1979) pp. 146 and 188Google Scholar; van Velzen, L.P.G., ‘Benoembaarheid op gelijke voet’, in Koekkoek, A.K. et al. , eds., Grondrechten Commentaar op Hoofdstuk I van de herziene grondwet (1982) pp. 114–123Google Scholar.

9. Kortmann, C.A.J.M., De Grondwetsherzieningen van 1983 en 1987, 2nd edn. (1987) p. 71Google Scholar and van Wissen, G.J.M., ‘De vreemdeling in openbare functies’, in Honée, E.M.V.M. et al. , Minderheden in een dominante cuituur (1988) pp. 51–70Google Scholar. Art. 3 of the 1983 Constitution reads: ‘All Dutch persons have equal access to appointment in the public service’.

10. Penninx, R., Migration, Minorities and Policy in the Netherlands, Sopemi Report (1981) pp. 1–17Google Scholar and Penninx, R., ‘Research and Policy with Regard to Ethnic Minorities in the Netherlands’, 22 International Migration (1984) pp. 345–366CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed.

11. Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ontwerp Minderhedennota (1981) p. 118Google Scholar and Minderhedennota, Hand. II 1982/83, 16102, nos. 20/21, p. 58.

12. Giuseppin, P.R., Het EEG-Verdrag en de discriminatie van EEG-onderdanen in dienst van de Nederlandse overheid (1986) p. 26Google Scholar.

13. 12 February 1974, no. 152/73, 1974 ECR, p. 153.

14. 17 December 1980, no. 149/79, 1980 ECR, p. 3881; and 26 May 1982, 1982 ECR, p. 1845.

15. See Brasz, H.A., ‘Toegankelijkheid van overheidsdienst voor vreemdelingen’, Tijdschrift voor Overheidsadministratie (1984) pp. 163–166Google Scholar.

16. Giuseppin, , op.cit. n. 12, pp. 31–36Google Scholar.

17. Circular of 24 June 1985.

18. Press Communiqué 4 July 1985. The same statement was made by the Minister in answer to parliamentary questions prompted by the letter of the EC Commission, Appendix to Verslag der Handelingen van de TWeede Kamer der Staten Generaal (Report of the Proceedings of the Lower House) [hereinafter referred to as Hand. II) 1984/85 no. 791.

19. Hand. II 1984/85 – no. 19076.

20. Act of 20 April 1988, Stb. 1988 No. 231.

21. By Royal Decree of 1 October 1988 Stb. 1988 No. 487.

22. Beune, H.H.M. and Hessels, A.J.J., Minderheid — Minder Recht? Een inventarisatie van bepalingen in de Nederlandse wet- en regelgeving waarin onderscheid wordt gemaakt tussen allochtonen en autochtonen (1983)Google Scholar.

23. In the case of Commission v. Belgium, see n. 14 supra.

24. See Hand. II 1984/85 – 19076 no. 3, p. 7. The relevant Bill was adopted by the Council of Ministers at the end of 1988 (Stc. of 21 December 1988).

25. Hand. II 1985/86 – 19076 no. 5, p. 6.

26. Hand. II 1987/88 – 19495 no. 5, p. 25.

27. Hand. II 1986/87 – 19836 Art. 12 and Art. 64b.

28. Drenthe (information provided to the author on 22 September 1988 by the provincial authorities); Friesland (Art. B 2 Prov. Ambt. Regl. [Provincial Civil Service Regulation]); Flevoland (Art. 6 Prov. Ambt. Regl. 1986); Gelderland (Art. B 3 Prov. Ambt. Regl. since 1985); Groningen (Art. 6. Prov. Ambt. Regl. 1988); Limburg (letter to the author dated 19 July 1988); North Brabant (Art. B 2 — B 4 Prov. Ambt. Regl.); North Holland (letter to the author dated 8 November 1988); Overijsel (Art. 7 Prov. Ambt. Regl.); Utrecht (Art. 6 Prov. Ambt. Regl.); Zeeland (Art. 7 Prov. Ambt. Regl. since 1984); South Holland (letter to the author dated 1 November 1988).

29. Hand. II 1987/88 – 19495 no. 5, p. 23.

30. Hand. II 1985/86 – 19403 Art. 64a.

31. Hessels, Th., Tussen de regels, een onderzoek naar de positie van allochtonen in de regelgeving van de gemeente Den Haag (1985) p. 17Google Scholar.

32. See Art. B2 and B3 of the VNG General Civil Service Regulation model.

33. An official of the province of North Brabant, who supervises the civil service regulations of all 131 municipalities in this province, told the author that in the last few years he had not seen a single municipal regulation requiring Dutch nationality for appointment in the municipal service (communication to the author of 26 September 1988).

34. Art. 2(1)(a) Wet arbeid buitenlandse werknemers (Foreign Workers Employment Act), Stb. 1978 No. 737 and a publication of the Minister of Social Affairs in Stc. 1979 No. 113. Until 1993, Spanish and Portuguese citizens are entitled to free access to employment in the private sector only after they have been admitted to legal employment in the country.

35. Hand. II. 24 March 1987, p. 3221.

36. Marchall, R. et al. , Employment Discrimination (1978)Google Scholar.

37. The Collective Employment Conditions Service, Ministry of Social Affairs, Buitenlandse werknemers. Bepalingen in bedrijfstakken en ondernemings-cao's (alsmede verordeningen of bindende regelingen) welke van toepassing zijn op 5.000 of meer werknemers (1983)Google Scholar.

38. Art. 8(2)(b) Wet op de inlichtingen- en veiligheidsdiensten (Information and Security Services Act) Stb. 1988 No. 635. This definition is similar to the definition of ‘sensitive functions’ in Art. 125e of the Civil Service Act.

39. Hand. II 1983/84 – 17363 no. 6, p. 8; Hand. II 1984/85 – 17363 no. 12, p. 16; Hand. I 1 December 1987, p. 220.

40. OJ No. C72/2 of 18 March 1988. For a critical discussion of this statement by the Commission see Handoll, , loc. cit. n. 1, p. 238Google Scholar.

41. Art. 429quater Criminal Code.

42. Art. 5 of the Law of 2 December 1982, Stb. No. 679. The Convention was concluded on 24 November 1977 in Strasbourg.

43. See the study mentioned in n. 37 supra.

44. Opleidingsbesluit Rijksluchtvaartschool (State Aviation School Training Decree), Art. 3(1)(a).

45. Actieprogramma Minderhedenbeleid (Minority Affairs Action Programme) 1988, Hand. II 1987/88 – 20260 no. 1. Children of workers from EC countries are admitted to this school as required by Art. 12 of Regulation 1612/68.

46. Letter of 11 October 1984, Hand. II 1984/85 – 16102 no. 92.

47. Decision of the Minister of Transport, Dikes and Navigation, 3 October 1980, Stc 1980 No. 209, p. 11.

48. Information provided by the NS to the author, 27 September 1988.

49. Art. 70 Reglement Dienst Hoofd- en lokaalspoor (Main-line and Local Railway Service Regulation) 25 January 1977, Stb. No. 152.

50. Letter from the City of Amsterdam to the Ministry of Justice on 7 April 1988 and a reply from the Ministry dated 26 May 1988.

51. Information provided by the Municipal Transport Service (Gemeentelijke Vervoerbedrijf) in Amsterdam to the author on 20 October 1988.

52. See the Annex infra.

53. Pilots Act (Loodsenwef) Stb. 1988 No. 353.

54. Art. 2(3) Decree on candidate-pilots (Besluit aspirant registerloodsen).

55. See for instance Art. 5(c) of the Sea Shipping Investment Premium Resolution (Besluit Investeringspremie Zeescheepvaart) 1983, Hand. II 1982/83 – 17600, XII, no. 23, pp. 6–7.

56. For a description of this collective dismissal, see van Voss, G. Heerma, ‘Discriminatie en ontslag van buitenlandse zeelieden: de zaak Nedlloyd’, NJCM-Bulletin (1985) pp. 187–202Google Scholar; the case-law concerning this case is published in A. Possel, ed., Rechtspraak Rassendiscriminatie, Nos. 52, 54, 67, 70, 78, 100 and 118, and in Groenendijk, C. A. and Swart, A.H.J., eds., Rechtspraak Vreemdelingenrecht (1986) no. 68 and (1987) no. 66Google Scholar.

57. Art. 3(b) PTT Council Decree (Besluit PTT-Raad) 5 October 1955, Stb. No. 460.

58. Hand. II 1984/85 – 19076 no. 3, p. 7.

59. Hand. II 1986/87 – 19076 no. 7, p. 1.

60. Ministry of Internal Affairs, Eerste opzet rapportagesysteem (1985) Annex 1, p. 10Google Scholar.

61. See the Annex infra.

62. Ministry of Internal Affairs, Etnische minderheden bij de overheid (1983)Google Scholar; Abell, J.P. et al. , Etnische minderheden bij de overheid. Een onderzoek naar belemmerende factoren voor indiensttreding van leden van etnische minderheden bij de overheid (1985)Google Scholar.

63. Meloen, J.D. and Hessels, A.J.J., Kleur verkennen. Een inventariserend onderzoek naar de gemeente Den Haag als werkgever van autochtonen en allochtonen (1985) p. B–12Google Scholar.

64. Abell, J.P., Etnische minderheden en de gemeentelijke arbeidsmarkt (1985) p. 13Google Scholar.

65. 67 West Germans, 36 with British nationality, 18 from Belgium or Luxembourg, 6 Frenchmen, 24 from unspecified ‘Southern European countries’, most probably Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece – Abell, P. and Menara, A., De positie van etnische minderheden aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam (1986) pp. 8–9Google Scholar.

66. Communication to the author on 12 October 1988.

67. CNV Transport Union, Leven en werken in Nederland. Een sociologisch onderzoek onder Turkse werknemers in dienst by the NS (1976) appendices 2 en 3Google Scholar.

68. Letter of 27 October 1982 from the NS to the author.

69. Abell, , op.cit. n. 64, p. llGoogle Scholar.

70. Hoolt, J., Belemmeringen bij werving, motivatie en selectie van allochtonen voor de Amsterdamse politie (1985)Google Scholar.

71. Art. 7(4) Dutch Nationality Act (Wet op het Nederlanderschap). This provision was deleted in Art. 15 of the new Dutch Nationality Act (Rijkswet op het Nederlanderschap) 19 December 1984, Stb. No. 628.

72. de Groot, G.R., Staatsangehörigkeitsrecht im Wandel (1988) pp. 298–300Google Scholar. He rightly points out that it would be contrary to Art. 48 EEC Treaty to apply such a provision to citizens because they entered the public service of another EC country.

73. Abell, op.cit. n. 64; Abell and Menara, op.cit. n. 65; Meloen and Hessels, op.cit. n. 63; Vriesema, J.S.E. and Kruyt, G. J., Binnen komen – binnen blijven. Verslag van een onderzoek naar beleid en uitvoering van instroom, opleiding en integrate van allochtone agenten in de korpsen van gemeentepolitie Amsterdam, Den Haag en Rotterdam (1987)Google Scholar.

74. Abell, , op.cit. n. 64, p. 20Google Scholar.

75. Appendix to Hand. II 1984/85 nos. 183 and 961.

76. See Abell, , op.cit. n. 64, pp. 110–114Google Scholar; Meloen, and Hessels, , op.cit. n. 63, p. 105Google Scholar; the same observations are made by Jenkins, R., Racism and Recruitment (1986) chapters 3–5 concerning recruitment and selection in large private organisations in BritainGoogle Scholar.

77. Choenni, C.E.S. and van der Zwan, T.J., Psychologische tests en allochtonen (1988).Google Scholar

78. Vriesema and Kruyt, op.cit. n. 73; see also Meloen, and Hessels, , op.cit. n. 63, pp. 132–138Google Scholar.

79. See, e.g., Art. 3(1) of Regulation 1612/68.

80. Until 1982 the city of Utrecht did not appoint aliens as ‘officials’ in the local service, because it was uncertain whether the loss of the residence permit would be sufficient ground for dismissal. Letter from the Mayor of Utrecht of 1 July 1982 to the Heads of Municipal Services.

81. This sentence reads: ‘This provision shall not apply to conditions relating to linguistic knowledge required by reason of the nature of the post to be filled’.

82. The Decision of the Commission of 8 June 1988 concerning migration policy in relation to third countries (OJ No. L183/35 of 14 July 1988) could provide a basis for such activities.