Dutch government urged to amend Defence Readiness Bill amid rising security threats
The Council of State advises adjustments to the Defence Readiness Bill to remove legal barriers for military exercises in the Netherlands. With global tensions rising, the bill aims to accelerate armed forces readiness, but public support is crucial for its success.
| Key Data | Details |
|---|---|
| Issuer | Advisory Division of the Council of State |
| Bill | Defence Readiness Bill |
| Purpose | Remove legal obstacles for military readiness, regulate data processing |
| Key Amendments Advised | Strengthen public support, balance public values, long-term perspective |
| Security Context | Rapidly changing international security situation |
| Military Activities | Drone exercises, low-altitude helicopter flights, night flights |
| Next Step | Government to amend bill before submission to the House of Representatives |
| Date of Advice | 23 March 2026 |
The Council of State is an independent advisory body that reviews draft legislation for legal quality and feasibility. Its Advisory Division provides non-binding but influential recommendations to the Dutch government before bills are submitted to parliament.
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Read the full translated article below
Advice on the Defence Readiness Act
The Advisory Division of the Council of State published its advice on 23 March 2026 regarding the Defence Readiness Bill. The Advisory Division recognises the need to remove legal obstacles to the readiness of the armed forces in the short term. For this reason, it follows the government’s chosen approach. However, it does advise that several elements of the bill should be amended. The effectiveness of the bill will largely depend on strengthening public support for the readiness of the armed forces.
Purpose and content of the bill
The government aims to establish a framework for the process of readying the armed forces through this bill. The bill removes a number of legal obstacles to military activities in the physical living environment. It also regulates the processing of (personal) data required for readiness and includes special provisions on personnel and procurement.
Rapidly changing international security situation
The bill must be viewed against the backdrop of the rapidly changing international security situation. These developments mean that Europe—and the Netherlands—could become involved in a large-scale military conflict within the foreseeable future. Therefore, accelerated readiness, expansion, and strengthening of the armed forces are essential. This means, among other things, that the armed forces must be able to conduct more and more intensive exercises in the Netherlands in the short term. Examples include realistic drone exercises over military training grounds, low-altitude helicopter flights, and night flights from military airbases.
Understanding the necessity and approach
The Advisory Division therefore understands the necessity of the bill and follows the government’s chosen approach. In its advice, it makes several observations that the government should take into account before submitting the bill to the House of Representatives. These observations relate, among other things, to strengthening public support, the long-term perspective, and the balance between public values and interests. In the Advisory Division’s view, the government should amend the text of the bill in several places to achieve this balance.
Strengthening public support
The effectiveness of the bill will largely depend on strengthening public support for the readiness of the armed forces. A broadly supported sense of urgency and collective awareness is needed to secure the cooperation of all relevant authorities, civil society organisations, and citizens. This requires a government-wide commitment, involvement, and responsibility. The Advisory Division advises the government to specify in the explanatory memorandum how it intends to achieve this.
Read the full advice of the Advisory Division here.