Admission of EU products into the Netherlands

If a product or product type is already admitted in another EU Member State, the Dutch government may not, in principle, prohibit its sale in the Netherlands, even if the product has been made according to technical standards that differ from Dutch standards. Dutch government agencies may only prohibit a product/product type or withdraw it from sale if consumer protection or environmental protection issues arise. In such cases, they must follow the procedure under the EU regulation on mutual recognition for the free movement of goods.

Proceedings

• The government agency (e.g. the Netherlands Food and Consumer Safety Authority or the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate) will inform you in writing of a proposal to prohibit or withdraw a particular product or product type from trade.
• You have 20 working days to respond to this proposal. In principle, the product or product type may remain on the market during this period.
• The government agency will take a final decision within 20 working days after the expiry of your response period. In doing so, the government organisation will take your views into account.
• If you disagree with the government agency’s final decision, you can lodge a formal objection or submit an appeal.