Dutch vote could upset EU's Ukraine policy

Abstract

Significance This does not mean reimposing pre-Schengen border controls, Dijkhoff said. However, last September, mobile patrols initiated random checks for smugglers and those ineligible for asylum. Amid increasing pressure to close its borders to control the entry of refugees, the Netherlands is meanwhile the only EU member state to hold a referendum on Ukraine's Association Agreement (AA). This springs from public discontent about what some consider further 'expansion' of Europe. Impacts A major rise in Ukrainian workers entering the Netherlands is unlikely post-ratification because employment permits would still be required. The AA would benefit Dutch investors, in the agri-food, horticulture, energy, logistics, water, hi-tech and retail industries in particular. Rejecting the AA could play into the hands of the Kremlin, by driving a wedge between Ukraine and the EU.