Background

The Netherlands Antilles, previously known as the Netherlands West Indies or Dutch Antilles/West Indies, are part of the Lesser Antilles and consist of two groups of islands in the Caribbean Sea: Curaçao and Bonaire, just off the Venezuelan coast, and Sint Eustatius, Saba and St. Maarten, located southeast of the Virgin Islands. The islands currently form an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. West Indian redirects here. ... Anthem: Himno di Kòrsou Capital (and largest city) Willemstad Official languages Dutch Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles  - Prime Minister of N.A. Emily de Jongh-Elhage  - Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional monarchy part of the Netherlands Antilles  Area  - Total 444 km² 171. ... Anthem: Tera di Solo y suave biento Capital (and largest city) Kralendijk Official languages Dutch Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles  - Bonaire Administrator  - Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional monarchy part of the Netherlands Antilles  Area  - Total 288 km² 111 sq mi  Population  - 2001 census 10,791  - Density... Map showing location of Sint Eustatius relative to Saba and Sint Maarten/Saint Martin. ... Motto: Remis Velisque. ... Flag of Sint Maarten. ...

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a member of the European Union. However the Antilles and Aruba are not considered part of the EU, but rather have the status of OCTs (overseas countries and territories;). Since citizenship is handled by the kingdom, and not distinguished for the three countries, citizens from all three countries are also EU citizens. Citizenship of the Union was introduced by the Maastricht Treaty signed in 1992. ...

Dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles

In 2004 a commission of the governments of the Netherlands Antilles and the Netherlands reported on a future status for the Netherlands Antilles. The commission advised a revision of the Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in order to dissolve the Netherlands Antilles[1]. 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On October 12, 2006, the Netherlands reached an agreement with Saba, Bonaire, and Sint Eustatius; this agreement would make these islands special municipalities. On November 3, 2006, Curaçao and Sint Maarten were granted autonomy in an agreement, but this agreement was rejected by Curaçao on November 28 2006[2]. For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

On February 12, 2007, an agreement was signed between the Netherlands and every island except Curaçao. This agreement would end the Netherlands Antilles by December 15, 2008 and make available for the islands more than 1,000,000,000 guilders for debt payment and other purposes[5].

15 December 2008 The Caribbean islands of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius will become part of the Netherlands as special municipalities. Question is will they also become part of the European Union. If so this mini-enlargement will be the first enlargement that happens entirely outside Europe and may constitute a violation of the Monroe Doctrine.

The Netherlands has proposed that the new EU constitution allow the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba to opt for the status of Outermost Region (OMR) also called Ultra Peripheral Region (UPR), if they wish.

Accession and the Monroe Doctrine

The Monroe Doctrine proclaimed that European powers should no longer colonize or interfere with the affairs of the nations of the Americas. One core tenet was that newly freed colonies were not to be reconquered by their former colonizers or other European powers. The Doctrine was expanded over the 19th and 20th centuries to prevent the religious wars of Europe from impacting the New World, prevent the collection of debts by force, protest French intervention in the Mexican Government, and remove Russian nuclear arms from Cuba.

One notable case where the United States ceded the Doctrine did not apply was the Falklands war where the US noted Britain was not reconquering a former colony but liberating territory taken by an aggressor (Argentina).

The Doctrine applies in light of the following:

• The former colonies are becoming normal part of a European Nation
• The former colonies are then becoming part of a larger European Superstate.

Deciding Factors

The following questions would need to be answered to determine if Accession violates the Monroe Doctrine.

• Who is the annexing state, The Netherlands or The European Union?
• Is the population of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius willing the annexation?
• Does annexation constitute a threat to the United States, its possessions, or allies?
• Will annexation disrupt or destabilize the New World?

Arguments representing a non-violation of the Monroe Doctrine

• The Netherlands already has colonial possession of the territories.
• The Netherlands is already a member of the EU.
• The Netherlands currently considers all citizens as EU citizens.
• The EU already possesses territory in the New World via France’s colony at Guiana.
• The Netherlands is a NATO member and not the type of ‘Old Europe’ threat the Monroe Doctrine was setup to protect.

Arguments representing a violation of the Monroe Doctrine

• The Netherlands has colonial possession of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius but will assume direct territorial control as part of a state. The EU does not have colonial possession of the area and is becoming the controlling power.
  • In the 1870s, U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant extended the Monroe Doctrine, saying that the U.S. would not tolerate a colony being transferred from one European country to another.
  • No New World colony has ever joined its mother state. Such a move would have to be non-compulsorily to be recognized.

• The EUs open border treaty will allow passengers and cargo to move from Eastern Europe, the Balkains, Southern Spain, and possibly Turkey to move unchecked and unscreened into Americas backyard.

• The Netherlands will not treat all inhabitants of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius as full and equal citizens.
  • Social security, for example, will not be on the same level as it is in the Netherlands, and the islands are not obliged to introduce the euro; they may retain the Antillean guilder pending further negotiations. Also, it is unknown whether prostitution and same-sex marriage will become legal in these islands, which are legal on the mainland of the Netherlands.

• The dissolution is not accepted by all states
  • The idea of the Netherlands Antilles as a state never enjoyed full support of all islands. Political relations between islands were often strained. After a long struggle, Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986, to form its own state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The desire for secession has also been strong in Sint Maarten.

• EU Treaties will grant military access to all EU members.

Additional Considerations

Since 2006 the Islands have given rise to diplomatic disputes between Venezuela and the Netherlands. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez claims that the Netherlands may allow the United States to install military bases that would be necessary for a planned U.S. invasion of Venezuela. On May 23, 2006 an international military maneuver known as Joint Caribbean Lion 2006, including forces of the U.S. Navy, began.

The dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles will create an apparent vacuum in the caribbean that aggressive states such as Venezuela or Cuba may take advantage of by:

• Inciting rebellion / piracy
• Annexing Territory
• Disrupting Shipping / Trade

Dutch law would possibly allow drug usage and prostitution inciting ‘sex tourism’ to the islands.

References

• http://www.government.nl/actueel/nieuwsarchief/2004/10October/08/0-42-1_42-49327.jsp
• http://www.government.nl/actueel/nieuwsarchief/2006/10October/12/0-42-1_42-84824.jsp
• http://www.government.nl/actueel/nieuwsarchief/2006/11November/03/0-42-1_42-88793.jsp
• http://www.government.nl/actueel/nieuwsarchief/2007/02February/13/0-42-1_42-92711.jsp
• http://www.thedailyherald.com/news/daily/j226/accor226.html

See Also

• Monroe Doctrine
• United States
• European Union
• Enlargement of the European Union
• Copenhagen criteria
• Netherlands Antilles