The branch organization for the Dutch hospitality sector KHN is considering submitting a compensation claim on behalf of restaurants and bars if the government decides to close all smoking areas within two years. The organization calls for a longer transition period, a spokesperson for KHN confirmed to NU.nl.
smoking area
May 18 '18 12:00
Apr 6 '18 07:27
The Ministry of Public Health Welfare and Sports wants to close all smoking areas in restaurants in bars, restaurants and other catering establishments in the Netherlands within two years. State Secretary Paul Blokhuis will announce this on Friday, sources in The Hague told NOS.
Blokhuis is responding to a court ruling in a lawsuit filed by Clean Air Nederland. In February the court ruled that all smoking areas in restaurants, bars and cafes must close.
Feb 13 '18 13:30
Restaurants, bars and cafes in the Netherlands may no longer have smoking areas, the court in The Hague ruled on Tuesday in a lawsuit filed by non-smokers association Clean Air Nederland (CAN), RTL Nieuws reports.
The Netherlands banned smoking in restaurants and the like in 2008, but added an exception for specially designated smoking areas that must comply to certain rules. The court now ruled that this exception for smoking rooms is contrary to the World Health Organization's rules on combating tobacco use.
