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Dutch Cabinet Gets Emergency Powers in Case of No-Deal Brexit

Dutch Cabinet Gets Emergency Powers in Case of No-Deal Brexit

(Bloomberg) -- Dutch parliament passed a bill giving Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s coalition government emergency powers in case of a no-deal Brexit.

A majority of lawmakers in the parliament’s lower house in The Hague granted the cabinet a six month period -- rather than a year as the government had proposed -- to use special powers as the country of about 17 million prepares for the eventuality of the U.K. leaving the European Union without a divorce agreement.

Under the new legislation, the government will have to submit emergency measures to parliament within ten weeks after implementing them. If the government fails to submit within the set time-frame, the measures will be scrapped.

Lawmakers on Tuesday also demanded a guarantee that decisions made by the country’s executive don’t conflict with the Dutch constitution, while requiring the government give explicit motivation for “exceptional” emergency measures, such as in case of life-threatening circumstances for animals and humans.

To contact the reporter on this story: John Hermse in The Hague at jhermse@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Joost Akkermans at jakkermans@bloomberg.net, Wout Vergauwen

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