Netherlands

Map of the Netherlands

Factbox

There are 15 extractive companies listed on Euronext Amsterdam, including Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron, Total, Schlumberger Ltd and Conocophillip. Shell, one of the ‘Big five’ oil companies, was founded in 1907 after a merger between Royal Dutch Petroleum and a transport company in the UK and is headquartered in the Hague, in the Netherlands. Shell operates in over 80 countries and employs more than 90,000 people. The total market cap of extractive companies listed on this exchange is €694,157,852,000. 10 of the extractive companies are also covered by the Securities and Exchange Commission in the US.  

Sources: Revenue Watch Institute; Shell 

Contact Person
Janine De Vries
Cordaid
Tel. +31 650252278
jvr@cordaid.nl

About the campaign

PWYP member Cordaid works has been working on reversing the resource curse since 2002. Since then, many partners have been trained on capacities to understand the extractive sector and processes, in order to have an informed position in multi stakeholder monitoring processes or at the negotiation table. Currently, Cordaid works on extractives in Guatemala, Colombia, Nigeria, Chad, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and the DRC. We have plans to start in India and Indonesia soon.

In order to build capacities of PWYP members and partner organisations in the South, we have access to the most recent policy developments around transparency and accountability in the Extractive Industries. We are closely following improved standards on legislation like the Dodd Frank Act and the European Commission’s Transparency & Accountant Directive, but also voluntary standards like the OECD Due Dilligence Guidelines for Responsible Supply Chains, the UN Business & Human Rights framework and the ISO 26000 Social responsibility framework or Community Development Agreements.

We participate in multistakeholder processes on the international level. We are a Board Member of the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, we participate in the Dutch Coal Dialogue, in the consultation process of the new Equator III draft principles and the IMF process of the best use of natural resources. We participate in expert panels around the world, to mutually inform global and local perspectives.

Recent activities

8 February 2013 – Following advocacy efforts by PWYP Netherlands and PWYP International, the Dutch government publicly announced it would not support the inclusion of exemptions in new European legislation which requires oil, gas, mining and logging companies to publish the payments they make to governments around the world. You can find more about this in the press release PWYP International released.

27 March 2012 – ONE and Cordaid handed a petition to the Dutch government calling for strong transparency rules for oil, gas and mining companies at the EU level. The petition, hosted on ONE’s website, was signed by over 89,000 people. For more on the event, read ONE’s blog.

Lobby and Advocacy

Next to our work in the south, opinions of our members and partner organisations is plugged in our international and national lobby in the north. Goal is to connect the global to the local and vice versa.

We are active in lobbying the Dutch parliament and relevant ministries (such as the Ministires of Foreign Affairs, Economic Affairs, but also Financial Affairs) on natural resources issues. We have commented on the Dutch Natural Resources Paper and inform MPs about the impact of oil gas and mining on local communities and their environment. Furthermore we also increase contacts with companies relevant to the extractives industries regarding corporate social responsibility issues including financial reporting and tax issues.

European Union Transparency and Accountancy directives

As the coordinator of the Dutch PWYP network and in cooperation with the Tax Justice Network in the Netherlands we have set up a continuous lobby regarding the EU Transparency and Accountancy Directives. We focus on the Dutch position and also financially support the Brussels lobby coordination. On March.. we and One handed in 80.000 signatures of citizens calling for more transparency and combating corruption in orde to end ‘ the Trillion dollar scandal’ . (pictures)

Dutch Coal Dialogue

Since 2010 Cordaid participates in the Dutch Coal Dialogue. This multi-stakeholder dialogue between energy companies, NGOs and mining companies was created after reports of serious environmental and human rights issues in mining areas in Colombia and South Africa, from which large amounts of coal are imported to the Netherlands (DCD document), mainly for use by energy companies. The dialogue is aimed at transparency on the origin of the ‘ Dutch ‘ coal and on improving the circumstances (at the social, environmental and human rights level) under which coal mining takes place.

Coalition members

Action Aid
Cordaid
Niza
Pax Christi Netherlands
Tax Justice Network Netherlands

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