The Netherlands ranked below average for foreign investors in Grant Thornton annual Global Dynamism Index (GDI)

The  Grant Thornton annual Global Dynamism Index (GDI) rates 60 of the world's biggest economies according to 22 indicators of "dynamism." These include factors such as corporate tax burdens and GDP growth.

According to the survey, Australia was the world's most attractive country for foreign in investment in 2013 among 60 nations ranked .The Netherlands was ranked 38th.
  
The GDI, however rated the Netherlands high in terms of political stability, Business Operating Environment and foreign trade relations. It also gave the Netherlands  high marks for its usage of Internet services.

Almere-Digest

Euro zone morale reaches two-year high in September but mood in the Netherlands worsened by 0.9 points - by Martin Santa

Optimism in the euro zone's economy brightened for the fifth month running and hit a 2-year high in September, driven by improving confidence across all sectors and confirming that a recovery is underway.

The European Commission said on Friday the 17-nation bloc's morale rose faster than expected to 96.9 from 95.3 in August, the best reading since August 2011.

In the wider European Union, confidence was up by 2.4 points to 100.6 points, taking the indicator above its long-term average for the first time since July 2011.

In the euro zone, the positive trend was particularly strong in three out of the bloc's five largest economies, with Spain and Italy rising by 2.5 points and France up by 1.6 points.

Sentiment in Germany, Europe's biggest economy, was broadly unchanged, while the mood in the Netherlands worsened by 0.9 points in September.

Across the bloc, employment plans were revised upwards in industry, services, retail trade and construction, the European Commission said.

Read more; Euro zone morale reaches two-year high in September | Fox Business

The income gap in the Netherlands is getting wider, researchers say

The gap between rich and poor in the Netherlands has increased over the past 35 years, according to researchers at Amsterdam University.

The financial position of the 10% of the population with the lowest incomes worsened by about 30% between 1977 and 2011, while the rest had more to spend, the research, quoted by the Volkskrant, shows.

The main reason for the deterioration in the position of low income households is cuts in social security benefits.

In 1977, the richest 10% of the population earned 5.1 times as much as the poorest 10%. But by 2011 this had stretched to 8.2%, the research showed. Growth was fastest in the second half of the 1980s when the minimum wage and benefits were frozen.

The current coalition government has made reducing the income gap a central part of its policies and is increasing the tax burden on the better off.

Read more: DutchNews.nl - The income gap in the Netherlands is getting wider, researchers say

Dutch Euthanasia Deaths Soar; Increase Includes Victims Incapable of Consenting to “Assisted Suicide” - by Jennifer Popik,

Although assisting suicide is only legal for a small fraction of the world’s population, its advocates in the U.S. and abroad remain focused on promoting this dangerous legislation. While opponents of euthanasia and assisted suicide have long warned of the dangers to vulnerable populations, evidence of abuse is mounting in Europe.

In one country, the Netherlands, overall euthanasia deaths soared by 13 percent last year – and this included many patients with dementia and some suffering only from psychiatric problems. This poses the question, “How can those with dementia and mental illness ‘chose’ assisted suicide?”

The number of people in the Netherlands killed by medical euthanasia has more than doubled in the 10 years it has been legal. The nation reported that the number of documented euthanasia deaths totaled 4,188 in 2012.
Shockingly, this number now represents more than 3% of all deaths nationwide from all causes. One explanation for the large increase in 2012 is the introduction of mobile euthanasia units allowing patients to be killed by lethal injection when family doctors refused.

Read more: Dutch Euthanasia Deaths Soar; Increase Includes Victims Incapable of Consenting to “Assisted Suicide” | NRL News Today

World Trade Center: Almere:: "the Netherlands lives because of Europe" - symposium October 16

 "The Netherlands lives because of Europe" - another great symposium at the Almere World Trade Center.

Don't believe one word the Eurosceptics are saying about the Netherlands and many other EU member states - that these countries would be better of  by pulling out of the EU and go at alone.

These Eurosceptics actually don't know what they are talking about and if they do talk its all populist blabbering.

In the Netherlands the working population earns approximately 600 billion euro's per year based on money which is somehow accumulated because of the EU. The Netherlands exports around 500 billion euro's internationally, of which 400 billion in goods and 100 billion in services.

Of this total three quarters of Dutch exports and services go to EU member states.

Consequently a healthy economic EU also means a prosperous Holland.

The afternoon symposium wil; consequently addressInternationalizing your own company or organization. At the end of the symposium there will be a networking reception.

For additional info including reservation for the symposium click on the link below.

Re:ad more: REMINDER "Nederland leeft van Europa" een symposium voor actieve ondernemers op 16 oktober 2013

Netherlands - Flevoland Province: decision to delay shale drilling brings mixed reactions

UPI reported that a Dutch government move to delay a decision on allowing shale gas drilling was hailed by local communities but "regretted" by energy boosters.

Netherlands Economic Affairs Minister Henk Kamp announced last week the Cabinet would take 1 1/2 more years to study the potential effects of hydraulic fracturing on the environment before allowing Britain's Cuadrilla Resources to drill test wells in the province of Flevoland.

In a Wednesday letter to the House of Representatives in The Hague, Kamp said more time is needed to study the entire range of possible shale gas sites in the country before approving the licenses, the Dutch daily Volksrant reported.

"I have listened carefully to the reactions in both the country and in The Hague," he wrote. "Some possible locations for test drilling for shale gas have been identified by companies applying for a license. But I want to be able to evaluate all sites in the Netherlands where drilling is possible.

"Then attention can be focused on those locations known to be promising, and how their environmental risks can best be overcome."

Kamp indicated he wants to be able to include more input from local governments, such as those in Flevoland -- including the cities of Noordoostpolder, Boxtel and Luttelgeest, which have vociferously opposed "fracking" after being identified as promising shale gas areas.

Almere-Digest

World Trade Center Almere: Invitation to the "Masterclass of Useful Alliances"

Participate in the "Masterclass of Useful Alliances" and integrate this knowledge into your own company or organization. To register and for further details please click on the link below.

Uitnodiging Masterclass Waardevolle Allianties 22 oktober 2013