THE HAGUE - The Kingdom Act on Consular Protection for EU Citizens is being revised to better safeguard the rights of unrepresented EU citizens in third countries. The proposed legislation, based on the EU Emergency Travel Document Directive, outlines the procedures and conditions under which an emergency travel document can be issued.
The document serves as a solution for EU citizens whose passports have been lost, stolen, destroyed, or cannot be replaced in time while in a third country. In such cases, they can apply for an EU emergency travel document at the diplomatic mission of another EU member state. According to the new directive, the document must be issued within seven working days of the application.
For Dutch nationals from the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom, such as Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten, the process remains unchanged. These individuals can still access EU emergency travel documents in third countries where no Dutch diplomatic representation is available, as their Dutch nationality ensures access to this consular protection.
The Council of State recommended several amendments to the proposal, including clarifying the definition of "unrepresented EU citizen" and setting data retention periods for personal information. These suggestions have been incorporated into the final text of the law.