This is evident from a study by the Dutch Court of Audit into more than a thousand 'disputes' between the Netherlands and the EU between 2010 and 2020.
During that period, over a thousand complaints against the Netherlands were submitted by Brussels itself as well as by domestic and foreign organizations and individuals. Compared to other EU countries, the Netherlands ranks roughly in the middle when it comes to incorrect or incomplete implementation of EU laws.
In two-thirds of all cases, verbal administrative preliminary consultations led to the Netherlands either adjusting The Hague’s rules or Brussels accepting the Dutch interpretation.
After these preliminary talks, the European Commission deemed 164 complaints sufficiently justified and entered formal discussions with the Netherlands. Most of these concerned environmental issues, energy policy, or mobility and transport. For example, because the Netherlands does not meet targets for energy from renewable sources. This was resolved by the Netherlands purchasing Danish renewable energy on paper.
According to the Court of Audit, although many issues are often resolved early, Dutch ministries draw few lessons and do little substantive coordination. The ministers rarely evaluate how violations of EU law arise in the Netherlands.
The Court of Audit also points out that only issues leading to legal proceedings are reported to the House of Representatives, while all 'resolved' disputes remain unreported.
Between 2010 and 2020, the European Commission ultimately initiated infringement procedures against the Netherlands 67 times. In 24 cases, the issues involved the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management.
These cover a range of matters, such as the Water Framework Directive and the incorrect implementation of the European arrest warrant. The issue around the PAS regulation arose because Dutch policies conflicted with the EU Habitats Directive, which has been in place since 1994.