A draft implementing law (“Implementatiewet anti-SLAPP-richtlijn”, dossier Kamerstuk 36731) was submitted to the Dutch House of Representatives on 15 April 2025, following consultation and an opinion from the Council of State in February 2025.
Parliamentary scrutiny continued through 2025, including a report stage in May 2025 and a government response published on 1 October 2025.
The plenary parliamentary debate is scheduled for 25 May 2026, after having already been rescheduled twice. If adopted by the House of Representatives, the proposal will proceed to the Senate.
The draft provides for a limited transposition, focusing mainly on procedural changes linked to security for costs. Key safeguards under the Directive, including early dismissal mechanisms and full cost recovery in SLAPP cases, are not yet fully operationalised, raising concerns about their effectiveness in practice.
No national SLAPP focal point has yet been appointed, and broader support structures remain undeveloped.
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CASE is a coalition of European NGOs that recognize the threat posed to public watchdogs by Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).
The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) was founded in 2015 in Leipzig, Germany, and operates under European press freedom charters.
CASE is a coalition of European NGOs that recognize the threat posed to public watchdogs by Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).
The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) was founded in 2015 in Leipzig, Germany, and operates under European press freedom charters.
Mapping Media Freedom documents press and media freedom violations across Europe. The documented incidents are publicly accessible and can be explored, filtered, and searched through the interactive Alert Explorer.