Press

The Communications Department serves as the press and media office, and acts as media representative for the House of Representatives, the President, the Presidium, parliamentary committees and the administrative management. It also provides facilities for journalists.

The Communications Department can be reached via the general telephone number +31 70 3183003 and e-mail address persvoorlichting@tweedekamer.nl.

Accreditation

Journalists who need to be in the House of Representatives for  their work must apply for accreditation via the Communications Department. The conditions for accreditation are described in the accreditation policy. A copy can also be obtained from the Communications Department.

Recording guidelines for journalists

There are guidelines for audiovisual recordings/photography by journalists in the building of the House of Representatives. A copy can also be obtained from the Communications Department. These guidelines also apply to journalists who use their own equipment (e.g. smartphone) to make recordings or take photographs.

Press releases

Press releases and press invitations to events are distributed by email and published on www.tweedekamer.nl/nieuws/persberichten. The Communications Department has a distribution list, to which journalists can be added on request. Applications for inclusion on the distribution list can be sent to persvoorlichting@tweedekamer.nl.

Information about parliamentary sittings

  • Journalists with questions about the schedule of parliamentary sittings can contact the Communications Department.
  • Information about the plenary agenda and committee meetings is available on the Dutch website.
  • The Debat Direct app makes it possible to follow sittings in the House of Representatives live on a smartphone or tablet. Debat Direct is available to download for iOS, Android and Windows 10 devices. Debat Direct is also available from the House of Representatives website.
  • Debat Gemist (Missed Debate) makes it possible to catch up on previous parliamentary sittings. Debat Gemist is available from the House of Representatives website.

Reports on parliamentary sittings

The report of the current sitting is updated throughout the day on the website www.tweedekamer.nl/kamerstukken/plenaire_verslagen. The officially adopted verbatim reports of all plenary sittings are posted in Dutch as ‘Handelingen’ at www.overheid.nl under ‘parlementaire stukken’ (parliamentary documents).

Documents for parliamentary committees

If public, any memoranda and letters that ministers send to parliamentary committees for information purposes or for a committee meeting can be found on the website www.tweedekamer.nl. Copies of any documents sent to committees by third parties (with the exception of private individuals) can be requested from the Communications Department unless the sender has indicated that the letter is confidential.

Written contributions from parliamentary groups and plenary contributions by spokespersons, for reports, etc. can be requested from the information departments of the separate parliamentary groups. The contact details of the different parliamentary groups can be found at www.tweedekamer.nl/kamerleden_en_commissies/fracties.

Parliamentary documents

Official parliamentary documents, reports and verbatim reports of parliamentary proceedings can be found via www.officielebekendmakingen.nl.

Parliamentary Press Association

Parliamentary journalists can become members of the Parliamentary Press Association (Parlementaire Persvereniging, PPV). The PPV has its own committee that decides who can be admitted to the association. The general criterion is that a journalist must primarily be engaged in parliamentary or political reporting.

Membership application forms are available from the PPV chairperson Joost Vullings (joost.vullings@eenvandaag.nl).

Press facilities

Courses

The Communications Department regularly organises courses for (new) journalists on such issues as the Rules of Procedure, budget and accountability, and Europe. This is done in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary-General. Together with the Information and Archive Department, the Communications Department also organises workshops on searching for parliamentary information on www.tweedekamer.nl.

Central Information Desk

At the House of Representatives Central Information Desk (beneath the Plenary Hall), all newspapers and magazines/journals may be consulted.

Editorial rooms

Some editorial teams have their own workspace in the Media Tower. Users are charged for these rooms. Editorial teams who wish to apply for a room in which to work can submit their application via the Communications Department, which will forward the request to the Facilities Department.

Press room

In the press room (P203), press and media may make use of equipment including three computers and a photocopier. The press room is located in the Media Tower, next to the entrance to the public gallery in the Plenary Hall.

Press gallery

In the Plenary Hall, a total of 44 seats are reserved for the press in the press gallery. In the rooms where public committee meetings are held, spaces are reserved for the press on the long table, in front of the first row of the public gallery.

Press pigeonholes

Press pigeonholes are available in the corridor adjacent to the Communications Department. Ministries, parliamentary groups and others can leave items of post for the press here. Editorial teams who wish to apply for a pigeonhole should contact the Communications Department secretariat.

Lockers

Lockers are available next to the Messengers’ Desk on the first floor, alongside the Plenary Hall. These are opened and emptied every evening (at the end of the sitting).

Wi-Fi

In the areas around the Central Passageway (first floor), the committee rooms and the Plenary Hall, the media may make use of public Wi-Fi via Plein2Air. The code is available from the Messengers’ Centre on the second floor, the security desks at the Plein and Lange Poten entrances and at the shop in the Central Passageway.

Media who frequently visit the House of Representatives for parliamentary reporting can make use of the guests’ Wi-Fi network: Plein2Air-Gasten. The code for this network can be obtained from the Messengers’ Desk on the first floor.