THE HAGUE – The Dutch political party DENK has called on the Netherlands to abandon plans to extend the Forward Operating Locations (FOL) agreement with the United States, which allows American aircraft to conduct counter-narcotics surveillance flights from airports in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
DENK parliamentary leader Stephan van Baarle submitted a motion in the Dutch House of Representatives on Thursday, November 12, 2026, urging the government not to renew the agreement.
The motion comes after the Dutch government announced last month that it intends to extend the existing agreement for another five years.
Under the FOL arrangement, the United States is permitted to conduct unarmed surveillance flights from designated airports in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom as part of international efforts to combat drug trafficking.
Although the agreement covers facilities in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, American operations under the arrangement are currently conducted exclusively from Curaçao.
The island therefore plays an important role in the agreement, serving as an operating location for U.S. aircraft involved in monitoring suspected drug trafficking activities in the region.
The agreement has been part of security cooperation between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United States, particularly in efforts to detect and disrupt narcotics trafficking routes through the Caribbean.
Dutch Government Rejects DENK Proposal
Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen immediately rejected DENK's proposal, making clear that the Dutch government remains committed to continuing the agreement.
"We advise against the motion. It is precisely the Netherlands' intention to continue this agreement," Berendsen told Parliament.
His response indicates that the government has no intention of reconsidering the planned five-year extension.
DENK currently holds three seats in the Dutch House of Representatives, making it unlikely that the party will secure sufficient parliamentary support to block the renewal.
A vote on the motion is expected next week.
Curaçao Remains Central to U.S. Surveillance Operations
The debate is particularly relevant to Curaçao because the island is the only location currently used by American aircraft under the FOL agreement.
The arrangement permits surveillance activities intended to support the detection of drug trafficking in the Caribbean, a region that remains strategically important for international maritime and aviation security operations.
The flights authorized under the agreement are unarmed surveillance missions rather than combat operations.
For Curaçao, the continued presence of American surveillance aircraft reflects the island's role in regional security cooperation between the Netherlands and the United States.
However, the agreement also places Curaçao at the center of political discussions in the Netherlands concerning the future of American security operations in the Caribbean.
The information accompanying DENK's motion does not specify whether the party is proposing alternative arrangements for counter-narcotics surveillance or how it believes regional cooperation should continue without the FOL agreement.
The Dutch government's position, meanwhile, remains firmly in favor of extending the existing arrangement.
With the parliamentary vote scheduled for next week, the motion is expected to face significant opposition. Unless a majority of lawmakers supports DENK's proposal, the government will be able to continue pursuing the five-year renewal of the FOL agreement with the United States.