1. Introduction

a. History and background

The Kingdom of the Netherlands was founded in 1813, having been part of France since 1810. Before 1795, most of the current territory was governed by a confederation of sovereign provinces. The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system with ministerial responsibility. Although legally the monarch forms part of the government, it is the responsible ministers who make policy. The Netherlands is a founder member of the EU.

The currency is the euro (EUR).

b. Legal system

During the French period, the Netherlands (Dutch) legal system was much influenced by French civil law. This influence carries through to the present-day civil law system.