Food for thought The Netherlands and Switzerland

Links between the Netherlands and Switzerland | Links between the Netherlands and Switzerland | Links between the Net

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Food for thought The Netherlands and Switzerland

Coverphoto Erasmus bridge in Rotterdam, Source: Marc Heeman/Rotterdam Image Bank

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Inhoud Introduction 5 Links between the Netherlands and Switzerland 6 Geography 9 Government 11 Population 14 Standard of living 18 Education 23 Innovation 28 Finance and Banking 31 Economy 34 International Cooperation 49 Sport 50 Culture 52 Working with the Dutch 59 Working with the Swiss 60 Addresses 62 Recommended websites 64

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The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Introduction Switzerland and the Netherlands appreciate each other as serious, reliable and like-minded partners in many different areas. Both in business and in politics, in international law and in sustainable development our two countries share many similarities. The Netherlands and Switzerland thank their prosperity to their highly qualified workforce, their innovative technological competencies and their wide spread services. Furthermore, both our countries pursue high quality standards in their production. Therefore, it is not surprising that we have found each other as major business partners. This booklet is intended for those who are interested to learn about our countries. Its goal is to make the reader think about unexpected, odd or revealing facts that form our relation. In short, this booklet is food for thought in pocketsize. Bern, July 2014 Bart Twaalfhoven Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

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The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Links between the Netherlands and Switzerland • The source of the Rhine is in Switzerland, and its estuary is in the Netherlands. • The humanist Erasmus was born in Rotterdam in 1467 and died in Basel in 1536. He is buried in the Basel Cathedral. |6|

• The founding father of the House of Orange-Nassau, Prince William of Orange (1533-1584) also bore the title of Count of Geneva. His statue has a prominent place on the city’s Reformation Wall (Mur de la Réformation). • Through her honorary citizenship of Geneva, awarded to her in 1926, Princess Juliana automatically acquired the right to Swiss nationality. However, she lost this right when she married Prince Bernhard von Lippe Biesterfeld. Princess Juliana was Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 to 1980, when she abdicated in favour of her daughter, Princess Beatrix. Queen Juliana died in 2004. • The Castle of Prangins, today a Swiss national museum, was once the private property of Princess Emilia of Nassau, daughter of Prince William of Orange. • The University of Geneva, founded in 1559 by John Calvin (1509-1564) as a theological college, was the most important

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

training centre for Dutch protestant theologians. At Calvin’s death in 1564, the college numbered 300 students, of whom 80% were foreigners, most of them French or Dutch. • In the 17th century, Swiss mercenaries became an important economic link between the two republics. At the end of the 18th century, 21,000 Swiss soldiers were stationed in the Netherlands. The Netherlands was the second largest employer of Swiss mercenaries, after France. The House of Orange also preferred to use Swiss soldiers as their guards. The relations between the Swiss officers and the House of Orange are still commemorated in Basel every year during the Oranienmähli. |7|

• The Peace of Westphalia (1648) recognised the independence of both the Swiss Confederation and the Republic of the Seven United Provinces. Apart from city states like Venice, the Netherlands and Switzerland were for many years the only two republics in Europe. • The Dutch Belle van Zuylen (1740-1805), one of the most important writers of her time, wrote the greater part of her oeuvre in Neuchâtel. In Switzerland she is known as Isabelle de Charrière. • From the late 19th century, both the Netherlands and Switzerland have been pioneers of international humanitarian law and the law on war, the foundations of which were agreed in the Hague Conventions and the Geneva Conventions. • Both the Netherlands and Switzerland were neutral countries during the First World War and up to the outbreak of the Second World War. Unlike the Netherlands, Switzerland has since managed to maintain its policy of non-alignment.

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

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The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Geography Switzerland and the Netherlands are geographically connected by the Rhine. From the Swiss Alps, where it has its source, the Rhine winds 1,033 kilometres across Europe to flow into the North Sea. The two countries are almost the same size: the Netherlands has a surface area of 41,543 km², Switzerland 41,277 km².

Highest and lowest point NL

CH

Lowest

-6,76 m

195 m

Highest

877 m

4,634 m

www.rijksoverheid.nl, www.cia.gov Since the islands of Bonaire, Saba and St Eustatius became special municipalities of the Netherlands on 10 October 2010, Mount Scenery on Saba (877 meter) became the highest point in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The highest point in the European part of the Netherlands is the Vaalserberg (Mount Vaals). The Vaalserberg is a hill in the municipality of Vaals with a height of 322.7 meters. There is a ‘Dutch’ mountain in Switzerland: the Piz Amalia, named after the eldest daughter of king Willem-Alexander. The 2,918 meter high peak in Scuol, Switzerland, was christened with Alpine milk in 2004.

Photo 1 Satellite photo of the Netherlands, Source WaterWatch

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The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Photo 2 Satellite photo of Switzerland

The Alps cover 65% of Switzerland’s surface area

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Government Government NL

CH

Political system

Constitutional Federal republic monarchy with a with direct parliamentary system democracy

Head of State

King

Bundesrat (Federal Council) and a Bundespräsident (Federal President) elected for just one year. The president is regarded as first among equals during that time.

Government

The King. 12 ministers and 8 state secretaries, coalition of 2 or more political parties

undesrat with 7 members of the 4 biggest parties among which a Bundespräsident is elected each year.

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The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

NL

CH

Parliament

Senate (Eerste Kamer) with 75 indirectly elected members. The House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) with 150 members elected directly by the people (proportional representation). Parliament can dismiss the government. This has happened 18 times since 1951.

The Council of States (Ständerat) with 46 members, 1 or 2 per canton and a National Council (Nationalrat) with 200 members. The members of each chamber are elected directly in cantonal elections. Parliament can’t dismiss the government.

First female minister

Marga Klompé (1956)

Elisabeth Kopp (1984)

Universal suffrage

men in 1917 women in 1919

men in 1848 women in 1971

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National 1 referendum on the referendums and EU constitution in people’s 2005 initiatives

207 people’s initiatives 393 referendums

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

NL

CH

Regional govern- 12 provinces, ment financially dependent on central government, little decision-making power

26 cantons, charge their own taxes, large degree of autonomy

Number of

2,408

403

www.bfs.admin.ch, www.cbs.nl On 10 October 2010, the Netherlands Antilles ceased to exist as a country. Curaçao and St Maarten became constituent countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, apart from the already existing status of Aruba. The islands of Bonaire, Saba and St Eustatius are part of the Netherlands, each with its own local government, analogous to that of a municipality.

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The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Population Official Languages

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The official language in the Netherlands is Dutch. It is the first language of 22 million Dutch and Flemish people. The second official language in the Netherlands is Frisian, spoken by around 400,000 Frisians. On the islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (the Caribbean Netherlands) Papiamentu and English are official languages as well. Dutch is also spoken on Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, which are separate countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In Suriname, Dutch is the language of government and education. Afrikaans, which is spoken in South Africa, descends from 17th century Dutch. The official languages in Switzerland are German, French, Italian and Romansch. Swiss-German is spoken by about 63.7% of the population, French by 20.4%, Italian by 6.5% and Romansch by 0.5%. 8.9% of the population speak other languages.

Inhabitants (2013) NL

CH

Inhabitants

16,833,740

8,112,200

Area

41,543 km2 (of which 7,650 km2 water)

41,277 km2 (of which 1,280 km2 water)

Inhabitants per km2

496

203

Source: Statistics Netherlands (CPB), CIA Factbook, OECD, Swiss Federal Statistical Office (BfS)

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Population growth (2013) NL

CH

0.25%

1.1%

Population of the five largest cities (2013) NL

CH

Amsterdam

799,442

Zürich

397,698

Rotterdam

616,260

Geneva

195,177

The Hague

502,055

Basel

173,352

Utrecht

316,275

Lausanne

139,390

Eindhoven

217,225

Bern

138,112

Source: Statistique Genève, Stadt Zürich, www.statistik-bs.ch, Lausanne.ch, Stadt Bern, IAmsterdam, www.stadindex.nl,

Did you know? For a short period of time in Europe’s history, citizens of the Netherlands and Switzerland were each other’s fellow countrymen. Both countries, together with parts of modern-day Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Italy and Germany, formed the kingdom of Middle Francia between 840 and 855 A.D., after the collapse of Charlemagne’s empire.

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The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Foreign population In 2013, 796,243 foreigners (people who do not have the Dutch nationality) were living in the Netherlands. This is 4.7 % of the Dutch population, whereas 21.1% of the total population originates from a foreign country. The largest groups come from:

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Turkey

11.1%

Morocco

10.4%

Suriname

9.8%

Total number of Swiss people in the Netherlands (November, 2013).

7,546

Source: CBS, Swiss Embassy, The Hague In 2013, 1,919,800 foreigners (people who do not have the Swiss nationality) were living in Switzerland, i.e. 23.7 % of the Swiss population. The largest groups come from: Italy

15.2%

Germany

14.8%

Portugal

12.3%

France Total number of Dutch people in Switzerland

5.4% 40,000*

Source: BfS, * Based on an estimation of the Netherlands Embassy

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Photo 3 Francia Media, Source pam Ename Note: People who have been resident in Switzerland for 12 years may apply for naturalisation. In the Netherlands you are eligible for naturalisation if you have lived in the country for an uninterrupted period of 5 years with a valid residence permit.

Religion (2012) NL

CH

Protestant

14%

27%

Roman Catholic

23%

38%

Islam

4%

5%

Non-confessional

46%

21%

Other religions

13%

9%

Source: www.bfs.admin.ch, CBS

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Standard of living On the United Nation’s Human Development Index (2013), which ranks countries based on life expectancy, literacy rate, education and GDP, both the Netherlands and Switzerland can be found in the top ten. The Netherlands ranks 4th behind countries like Norway, Australia and the United States of America. Switzerland ranks 9th.

Happiest nations in the world Denmark (7,693) | 18 |

Norway (7,655) Switzerland (7,650) The Netherlands (7,512) Sweden (7,480) Source: UN World Hapiness Report 2013

Residential housing (2013) NL*

CH

Rental

43%

70%

Owner-occupied

56%

30%

Source: BfS, CBS * 1% is unknown

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Photo 4 Philips X-ray machine, Source: Philips design

Health (2012) Health expenditure as % of GDP

NL

CH

15.4

11

Total expenditure per capita in €

€ 5,535

€ 5,399

Physicians per 1,000 inhabitants

3.0

3.8

Hospital beds per 1,000 inhabitants

4.7

5.0

Source: OECD, CBS, WHO, BfS

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Prices. salaries and purchasing power (2013) Average salary (gross per year)

NL

CH

€ 34,879

€ 55,516

Price of a Big Mac (2011)

€ 3,50

€ 5,04

Purchasing Power Parity for private consumption (National currency per US dollar)

0.83

1.37

Source: BfS, OECD, the Economist, the World Bank

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Communication (2013) NL

CH

Landline connections per 10.000 inhabitants

4,200

5,700

Mobile phone subscriptions per 10.000 inhabitants

11,800

13,500

Internet users as % of population

92.9%

82.1%

Domain names (.nl / .ch)

5,115,652

1,752,794

Source: Worldbank,Internet World Stats, hostnet (domeinnamen onderzoek) Source: Internet World Stats

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Photo 5 Philips LED street lighting, Source: © PHILIPS

The Dutch have leading expertise in sustainable roadway lightning

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Social media (2014) NL

CH

Facebook – total number of users

8,900,000

2,964,220

LinkedIn

4,100,000

1,156,933

Twitter

3,300,000

426,000

Source: www.marketingfacts.nl, www.socialmediaschweiz.ch

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With roughly 3.3 million Twitter users, the Netherlands has one of the largest Twitter populations in the world. The number of active users, i.e. those who actually tweet, takes with 11% a joint 7th place with the U.S. and Japan. (source: peerreach.com, October 2013)

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Education The Dutch education system Most Dutch children start primary school at the day they turn four, although the mandatory school starting age is five. Primary education lasts eight years. On average, children are twelve years old when they start secondary school. They have several options: pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO), senior general secondary education (HAVO) and pre-university education (VWO). After VMBO, at an average age of sixteen, students may transfer to secondary vocational education (MBO). Those who have completed the theoretical VMBO programme can also choose to transfer to HAVO. HAVO is intended as preparation for higher professional education (HBO) and VWO as preparation for university. VMBO takes four years, HAVO five years and VWO six years. MBO comprises a vocational training programme and a block or day release programme. There are four qualification levels. The programmes last a maximum of four years. The four-year HBO programmes lead to the award of a bachelor’s degree. At university, a bachelor’s degree can be acquired in three years. A master’s degree programme takes either one or two years. Source: Ministry of Education, Culture & Science

The Swiss education system The Swiss education system can be divided roughly into four levels: primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary. The system varies from canton to canton, but all children in Switzerland are required to attend school for nine years from the age of six. After completing their primary education, which may take

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The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Research Universities (in Dutch: universiteiten)

Doctor’s degree (PhD) 4 years

Universities of Applied Sciences (in Dutch: hogescholen) a solid arrow indicates a right to acces a dotted arrow indicates that some form of selection or bridging requirement may be applied

Postgraduate

MA / MSc / LLM degree 1-2-3 years (60-180 credits)

Master’s degree 1-2 years (60-120 credits)

Undergraduate

BA / BSc / LLB degree 3 years (80 credits)

Bachelor’s degree 4 years (240 credits)

Senior Secondary Vocational Education and training (MBO) 1-4 years

Secondary

University Preparatory Education (VWO) 6 years

Senior General Secondary Education (HAVO) 5 years

Preparatory Vocational Secondary Education (VMBO) (iii) 4 years

Primary

Primary Education (VWO) 8 years

Figure 1 Diagram of the Dutch Education System, credit: Utrecht University

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

between four and six years, children go on to the first, compulsory phase of secondary education. This prepares them for the second, non-compulsory phase, in which they have several options. The first is an apprenticeship with on-the-job training and theoretical courses at a vocational school; during or after their apprenticeship, students can attend further courses to qualify for a professional baccalaureate. On the basis of this certificate they can be admitted to the universities of applied sciences without having to sit an entrance exam, and by taking a supplementary examination it is possible to study at a university. Matura schools (cantonal school, grammar school, lycée) give pupils a broad general education in seven basic subjects, a major subject and a minor. Matura schools are the usual route taken by those who wish to go to university; Specialised middle schools teach both general and specific subjects such as those required for certain professions in health and social work, education, music and arts. At tertiary level, there are traditional universities, including the cantonal universities, and the federal institutes of technology and universities of applied science. Students may also choose to attend teacher training colleges or enroll in higher vocational education. Quaternary education is built upon tertiary education and describes the continuation or renewed uptake of an organised form of learning after having completed academic or professional training, usually after starting a job or a family.

Education NL

CH

Public expenditure as % of GDP

6

5.2

Public expenditure as % of total government expenditure

11.7

17.9

Source: OECD, Worldbank

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Figure 2 The Swiss Education System, Source: EDK CDIP CDEP CDPE August 2013

9

2

1

3

4

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

UPPER SEC.

C.

TERTIARY

BACCALAUREATE

3A

BACCALAUREATE SCHOOLS

2

Specialised Baccalaureate + Specialised School Certificate (4 years)

5A

3A + 3B

UPPER SECONDARY SPECIALISED SCHOOLS

SPECIALISED BACCALAUREATE PROGRAMME

option 2*

3A + 3B

Federal VET Certificate

3C

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

BRIDGE YEAR COURSES (10TH SCHOOL YEAR)

Vocational schools + training companies + inter-company courses | full-time schools FEDERAL VOCATIONAL BACCALAUREATE - option 1: during the apprenticeship - option 2*: after the apprenticeship (full-time 1 year or part-time 1,5–2 years)

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (VET) (= APPRENTICESHIP)

5B

PREPARATORY COURSES FOR: - FEDERAL PET DIPLOMA - ADVANCED FEDERAL PET DIPLOMA

Federal PET Diploma Advanced Federal PET Diploma

CONTINUING EDUCATION AND TRAINING (CET)

SECOND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING 4B

Federal Vocational Baccalaureate + Federal VET Diploma

5B

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (PET) COLLEGES

PET College Degree

Federal VET Diploma

option 2*

UNIVERSITIES OF APPLIED SCIENCES

Specialised School Certificate (3 years)

ADULT BACALAUREATE SCHOOLS

Baccalaureate

1

5A

UNIVERSITIES OF TEACHER EDUCATION

CONTINUING EDUCATION AND TRAINING (CET)

4A

5A

Master (5 years)

Bachelor (3 years)

UNIVERSITIES INCL. FEDERAL INSTITUTES OF TECHNOLOGY

6

PhD Doctorate

THE SWISS EDUCATION SYSTEM The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

UPPER SE

LOWER SEC.

PRIMARY

1

2

3

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1

2

3

(= APPRENTICESHIP)

3A + 3B

PRE-SCHOOL

PRIMARY SCHOOL

ISCED 6 ISCED 5A + 5B ISCED 4A + 4B ISCED 3A–C ISCED 2A ISCED 1 ISCED 0

AG | BL | BS | TI

SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION

1

2

3

Compulsory education The diagram shows the present structure of the education system. The cantons aim at harmonising the structure of compulsory education. www.edk.ch > HarmoS

Number of years

Transition: 1 Baccalaureate ≥ Universities of applied sciences (practical training) 2 Federal Vocational Baccalaureate ≥ Universities (additional qualifications)

Degree

© EDK CDIP CDEP CDPE, August 2013

AI | AR | BE | FR | GE | GL | GR | JU | LU | NE | NW | OW | SG | SH | SO | SZ | TG | UR | VD | VS | ZG | ZH

3C

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

BRIDGE YEAR COURSES (10TH SCHOOL YEAR)

Vocational schools + training companies + inter-company courses | full-time schools FEDERAL VOCATIONAL BACCALAUREATE - option 1: during the apprenticeship - option 2*: after the apprenticeship (full-time 1 year or part-time 1,5–2 years)

PERFORMANCE-BASED GROUPING

3A + 3B

UPPER SECONDARY SPECIALISED SCHOOLS

ISCED The diagram contains a link to the ISCED (International Standard Classification of Education www.uis.unesco.org). The ISCED assigns an internationally defined code (ISCED 0 to ISCED 6) to each educational level. This ensures international comparability of educational levels.

0

1

2A

BACCALAUREATE PREP. SCHOOLS

3A

BACCALAUREATE SCHOOLS

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

| 27 |

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Innovation Research and Development (R&D) 2012

| 28 |

NL

CH

Expenditure as % of GDP

2.1%

3%

Financed by industry (% of GERD)

57%

68%

Government financed (% of GERD)

43%

32%

Researchers: per 1,000 labour force (full-time equivalent)

6.1

5.7

Source: OECD, GERD= Gross Domestic Expenditure R&D, CBS In its economic policy, the Dutch government is focusing on nine business sectors that are key to Holland’s international trade and investment: Agriculture and Food; Horticulture and propagation materials; High-Tech Materials and Systems; Energy; Logistics; Creative Industries; Life Sciences and Health; Chemicals; Water. These are sectors that are leading the way in innovation and sustainability, collaborating with Holland’s knowledge institutes on world-class research and development. Expertise and products from these Dutch sectors is on demand around the world. Together, these sectors are the drivers of the Dutch economy. Another area of focus is head offices. The establishment of head offices in the Netherlands helps sustain the country’s strong economic profile, and it also creates jobs, which makes it important for all top sectors. (Source, Holland Compared, Facs and Figures 2014)

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

This so called ‘top sector policy’ aims to strengthen the Dutch position in these sectors. Businesses have worked with the government and knowledge institutions to create an agenda for action for each of these top sectors. Recent government initiatives and specific policy instruments such as the Innovation Voucher scheme aim to broaden the basis for innovation beyond the traditionally strong multinationals by focusing more on SMEs and encouraging collaboration with knowledge institutions. (Source: OECD) | 29 |

Ranking

NL

CH

Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014

8

1

Innovation Union Scoreboard 2013

6

1

Global Innovation Index 2013

4

1

Rankings of Switzerland and the Netherlands in classifications for competitiveness and innovation. Source: NL Agency The most important innovation policy document in Switzerland is the Statement to the Promotion of Education, Research and Innovation 2013-2016 (ERI Message). “Switzerland considers education, research and innovation to be a top priority.” It is the government’s medium-term policy in the form of a four-year plan for education, research and technology at the federal level.

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Switzerland has the highest overall level of innovation performance and its rate of improvement is also above that of the EU27. Source: SERI, OECD

| 30 |

Swiss regions are strongly focused on innovation, economic growth and strengthening competitiveness. Switzerland is a world leader in higher and university education, R&D and business. Swiss policy focuses on innovation in traditional industries in sparsely populated areas, instead of high-tech. The Swiss also strive to improve coordination and cooperation between regions. Many regions are developing their own regional business parks, business networks and knowledge institutions. Switzerland intends to make activities that stimulate innovation visible at regional level.

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Finance and Banking On 26 February 2010, the Netherlands and Switzerland signed a revised treaty for the avoidance of double taxation, which entered into force in 2011.

Switzerland’s financial sector The Swiss financial centre, with banking as the leading sector, is of major international importance and among the global market leaders in many areas. The financial centre makes a substantial contribution to gross value added in Switzerland and hence to the prosperity of the entire Swiss population. The banks are hugely important to the Swiss economy in many respects. As employers they offer a host of skilled jobs paying above-average salaries; as taxpayers they provide a considerable portion of public-sector funding; and, finally, as drivers of value added and centres of innovation they generate momentum for the entire economy. (www.swissbanking.org 07-03-2014).

Banking (2013) NL

CH

Domestic credit provided by banking sector (% GDP)

218%

192.6%

Share of GDP

4.03%

6.2%

Number of Monetary Financial Institution MFI’s

276

312

Source: DNB, World Bank, Swiss banking, Swiss National Bank

| 31 |

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

The Netherlands’ financial sector The Dutch financial sector is well-positioned in Europe. A wide variety of factors make the Netherlands a favoured location for financial institutions. The Netherlands has, for instance, traditionally been a desirable location for major financial institutions and the Netherlands has modern legislation for the financial sector oversight. By specialising, the Netherlands can play an important role on the financial services market in Europe and worldwide. Opportunities for the Netherlands can be found in areas like pensions and related services and the financing of sustainable projects. | 32 |

The Netherlands has a well-developed financial system that is largely focused on global financial markets and trends. Four financial areas in which the Netherlands has extensive experience and in which the Dutch financial sector shows great international growth potential: • Retirement management -pension advisory services and administration; • Financial logistics - efficient and cost-effective funds transfer systems; • Trading venue - securities dealing; • Finance and sustainability - sustainability and financial services. Amsterdam is home to the Euronext Amsterdam exchange, which is part of NYSE Euronext, and Atradius, the world’s largest credit risk management company. ABP is one of the three largest pension funds in the world.

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Photo 8 Schiphol airport Source: B en U Diemen

Holland offers a strategic location in Europe

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Economy Both Switzerland and the Netherlands have always had an open economy, with a very significant level of trade with other countries. In 2012, exports of goods and services accounted for 88% of the Netherlands’ GDP and 52,3% of the Swiss’ GDP. Source: The World Bank

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at market prices (2014) | 34 |

GDP

NL

CH

€ 602,66 billion

€ 489,98 billion

GDP growth rate (2014) 0.75%

2.2%

GDP per capita (PPP)

€ 40,300

€ 32,600

Source: CPB, KOF, Eurostat

EU – Switzerland Though not a member, Switzerland maintains close relations with the European Union and has access to most sectors of the EU internal market through 20 principal bilateral agreements and around 100 supplementary agreements, which regulate cooperation in clearly defined sectors. These agreements secure mutual access to most markets, and form the basis for close cooperation in the areas of research, security, asylum, environ-mental protection and culture.

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Photo 9 EU, Source: European Union

Switzerland and the EU are discussing institutional issues which cover the mechanisms to ensure a more efficient application of the agreements on market access now and in the future. Both parties adopted a negotiating mandate to open the negotiations on the institutional issues. The Federal Council on 18 December 2013, the European Council of Ministers on 6 May 2014 (Source: Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police). On 9 February 2014, the Swiss population adopted a popular initiative aimed at stopping mass immigration. The new constitutional text requires the Federal Council to introduce a new admissions system for all foreign nationals within three years. This means renegotiating the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons with the EU and adapting it to Switzerland’s new immigration system (Source: Swiss Directorate for European Affairs). Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

| 36 |

(EFTA), an intergovernmental organisation set up for the promotion of free trade and economic integration to the benefit of its four member states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. This trading partnership is in some ways comparable to the European Union but cooperation between the members of the EFTA is less extensive. For example the member states do not form a customs union. As a result they can decide for themselves whether to trade with non-member states. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway thus have an agreement with the EU to form a free trade zone, but Switzerland is not part of it. Since 12 December 2008 Switzerland has been part of the Schengen area, making unrestricted movement of persons possible between Switzerland and the other countries that are party to the Schengen Agreement. Switzerland signed the Schengen Agreement after a referendum in 2005. It was the 25th country to join.

The European Union is the most important market for both Switzerland and the Netherlands (2012) NL

CH

% of total exports (EU)

79%

55.8%

% of total imports (EU)

62%

74.6%

Source: BfS, CBS

Economic relations between the Netherlands and Switzerland (2013) NL imports from CH in €

2,2 billion

NL exports to CH €

5,6 billion

Source: CBS

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

In the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2013-14 rankings for the most competitive economies in the world, the Netherlands takes the eighth position, just behind Hong Kong. Switzerland tops the overall rankings, with Singapore in second place.

Direct investments (2012) NL

CH

Total direct investments abroad

€ 749 billion

€ 867 billion

Total direct investments by foreign countries

€ 463 billion

€ 544 billion

Total Dutch foreign direct investment in CH

€ 134 billion (2012)

Total Swiss foreign direct investment in NL

€ 49 billion (2012)

| 37 |

Source: SNB, DNB, In 2012, Switzerland was the world’s 6th largest foreign investor. The Netherlands was the 9th largest foreign investor in the world. Source: UNCTAD, 2013 food In 2012, the Netherlands was the largest investor in Switzerland, before Luxembourg and the USA. The Netherlands is the fourth largest country for Swiss foreign direct investments after the USA, UK and Luxembourg and before Germany.

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Exports and Imports of goods (2013) NL

CH

Total exports

€428 billion

CHF 201 billion

Total imports

€384 billion

CHF 176 billion

Source: CBS, BfS The Netherlands is the 8th largest export destination for products from Switzerland, and takes the same place for imports into Switzerland. Switzerland is the 13th largest export destination for products from the Netherlands, and takes the 30th place for imports into the Netherlands. | 38 |

The Netherlands’ main export products Machinery and transport equipment, chemicals and mineral fuels, optical and medical instruments, pharmaceutical products, electronic equipment, manufactured goods, transport, trade, construction, dredging and technical services. Switzerland’s main export products Clocks and watches, mechanical and electrical engineering, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, precision instruments, defence material, turbo generators and diesel engines.

Chocolate and chocolate products (2012) NL

CH

Chocolate consumption per capita

5,54 kg

11,9 kg

Cocoa grinding in 1000 tonnes

530

17

Source: ICCO, Chocosuisse

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Photo 10 Cheese market, Alkmaar, Source: Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions

Cheese (2013) Production in 1000 tonnes

NL

CH

794

183 68

Exports in 1000 tonnes

731

Imports in 1000 tonnes

214

52

Exports in % of production

92%

37%

Cheese consumption per capita per year

19.4 kg

21.1 kg

Source: Zuivelonline, Schweizerischer Bauernverband, Switzerland Cheese Marketing SCM

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Photo 11 Cocktail tomatoes, Source: Enza zaden

With only 0.008% of the world’s surface area, the Netherlands is the world’s third largest exporter of agricultural produce!

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

The Netherlands is the world’s major cocoa grinding country. The two most important achievements in the history of chocolate production were the invention of the cocoa press by the Dutchman Coenraad van Houten in 1828 and the development of the Conche, a chocolate refining machine, by the Swiss Rudolphe Lindt from Bern.

Agriculture (2012) NL

CH

Arable land (% of total land)

30.9%

10.1%

Gross value added

€8,43 billion

€2,98 billion

Employment in Agriculture (% of total employment )

2%

3.4%

Number of farming businesses

68,810

59,065

% organic farming

2.49%

11.98%

Organic producers

1,646

6,173

Source: EUROstat, World Bank, Organic World, The World Factbook2013 The Netherlands is the world’s second-largest exporter of agri-food products. The Netherlands is a hotbed of R&D in the area of agri-food, due largely to the excellent knowledge infrastructure and close collaborations between knowledge institutes, government and the private sector, the so-called “golden triangle”.

| 41 |

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Working population per sector (2013) NL

CH

2%

3.4%

Industry

18%

23.4%

Services

80%

72.3%

Agriculture

Source: The World Factbook 2013

Employment (2013) NL | 42 |

Labour force

CH

11.1 mln

5 mln

Employment rate

75.1 %

79.4 %

Net labour force participation

66.1%

82.9%

Net labour force participation for women

59.9%

45.4%

Share of labour force working part time

37.8%

26%

Average unemployment (2006-2012)

4.0%

3.9%

Source: BfS, CBS, OECD 2013 The Netherlands and Switzerland have the highest number of part-time workers in Europe. In the Netherlands, 49.8% of the labor force aged 15 to 74 is part-time employed. Switzerland follows in some distance in second place with 35.6%. The average part-time percentage in Europe is 19.9 percent. (Source: Eurostat – ‘Labour Force Survey’, 19-04-2013)

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Working hours (2012) Hours

NL

CH

Average collectively agreed normal weekly hours

37.1

41.7

Actual weekly working hours

39.7

42

Source: Eurostat

Transport (2013) NL

CH

Total length railways

3.013 km

5.124 km

Freight transport by rail, Freight Tonne Kilometres

6.157

11.061

Total length highways

138.199 km

71.513 km

Freight transport by road, x million tonne-kilometres

565

282

Total length waterways

6.242 km

543 km

Source: ProRail, VOEV, Eurostat, ProRail, BfS

Bicycles (2012) NL

CH

Total number of bicycles

22,3 million

3,9 million

Bicycles per capita

1.3

0.5

Source: BOVAG, VeloSuisse

| 43 |

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

| 44 |

Photo 12 Freight bicycle, Source: Marc Heeman / Rotterdam Image Bank

The Netherlands has more than 15, 000 km of cycle Cycling paths! the Dutch way

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Cars (2013) NL

CH

Total number of private vehicles

7,915,613

4,320,000

Cars per 1000 inhabitants

472

537

Source: CBS, BfS

The Netherlands: Gateway to Europe Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the third-largest freight (after Frankfurt and Paris Charles de Gaulle) and fourth-largest passenger airport (after Frankfurt and Paris Charles de Gaulle and London Heathrow) in Europe. More than 51.0 million passengers passed through the airport in 2012. Cargo volume decreased slightly to 1.5 million tons. A total of 101 airlines offer direct flights from Schiphol to 317 destinations all over the globe.

Biggest national airports (2013) Schiphol Airport

Zürich Airport

Flight movements

459,967

262,227

Freight traffic x 1000kg

1483

416

Passengers

50,976,000

24,802,400

Direct destinations

317

184

Source: Schiphol Group, 2013., Zürich Flughafen (2013)

The Port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe and the world’s fourth largest seaport, after Singapore, Shanghai and Ningbo & Zhoushan, and is the world’s 10th largest container port.

| 45 |

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Port (2012) Rotterdam

Basel

Area (in hectares)

12,426

158

Goods handled (in mega tonnes)

441.5

7.2

Containers in TEU

11,900,000

102,240

Source: Port of Switzerland, Port of Rotterdam

Electricity - production by source (2012) | 46 |

Fossil fuel

NL

CH

80.5%

5.4%

Hydro

0.1%

53.7%

Nuclear

3.8%

40.6% 0.2%

Solar energy

0.2%

Biomass

7.0%

0.0%

Wind energy

4.9 %

0.1%

Waste incineration

3.4 %

0.0%

Source: CBS, Bundesamt für Energie BfE

CO2 emissions, x1000 CO2 metric tonnes (2012) NL

CH

Absolute CO2 emissions

166

38

Ranking absolute CO2 emissions

33

69

Per head of population

10

4.7

Source: www.globalcarbonatlas.org

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Photo 13 Rotterdam container port, source: ECT

Tourism (2013) NL

CH

Overnight stays

31,665,000

34,800,000

Guests from Switzerland in the Netherlands

235,000

Guest from the Netherlands in Switzerland

726,636

Source: CBS, BfS

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Photo 14 The Peace Palace, Source: NL Agency

The Hague is the legal capital of the world

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

International Cooperation Membership of international organisations NL

CH

Founding member member since

Founding member

member since

European Union

yes

1956

-

-

Council of Europe

yes

1949

no

1963

NATO

yes

1949

-

-

OECD

yes

1961

yes

1961

UN

yes

1945

no

2002

IMF / World Bank

yes

1946 /1944

no

1992

| 49 |

Source: Min. of Foreign Affairs, the respective organisations

Development funding (2012-14) NL

CH

Total

€3.7 billion (2014)

€2.3 billion (2012)

% of GDP

0.7%

0.5%

Source: Rijksoverheid, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Sport Olympic gold medals NL

CH

Summer Olympic Games

78

47

Winter Olympic Games

37

50

Source: The Olympic Movement, NOS

| 50 |

Wimbledon singles winners NL

CH

Richard Kraijcek (1996)

Roger Federer (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012) Martina Hingis (1997)

Soccer Nickname national team

Oranje

Nati

Internationals: the Netherlands vs Switzerland Won by the Netherlands

Draw

Won by Switzerland

15

3

15

Source: KNVB

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Photo 15 Speed Skating – Woman’s 3000m – Ireen Wüst –Netherlands – Gold Medallist, Source: Olympic Movement

European Championship and World Cup Soccer Participation EC

NL

CH

9

3 10

Participation WC

10

Place in the WC final WC&EC

4

0

FIFA ranking (2014)

11

7

Source: KNVB, FIFA, UEFA

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Culture Museums NL

CH

Total museums

788

1,118

Most popular museums

Van Gogh Museum Anne Frank Huis Rijksmuseum NEMO Het Nederlands Openluchtmuseum Hermitage Amsterdam

Museum of Transport, Lucerne Kunstmuseum Basel Fondation Beyeler Swiss Open Air Museum Ballenberg Chillon Castle

| 52 |

Source: CBS, VMS

UNESCO World Heritage NL

CH

8 cultural heritage locations 8 cultural heritage locations and 1 natural heritage location and 3 natural heritage locations

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Photo 16 Rijksmuseum, Source: Amsterdamse Mediabank Van PD DVD NL

CH

Including: Ir. D.F. Wouda Steam Pumping Station Beemster Polder Rietveld Schröder House the Wadden Sea seventeenth-century canal ring area of Amsterdam inside the Singelgracht

Including: Benedictine Convent of St John at Müstair Convent of St Gall; Old City of Bern Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch Palafittes, prehistoric pile dwellings at Neuchâtel

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Photo 17 Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Source: Simon van Boxtel

Film (2012-13) NL

CH

Total number of cinemas

139

278

Total visits per capita

1.8

2

Total newly released films

63

97 (2013)

Source: Stichting NVB,BfS, Swissfilms

Film festivals (2013) NL

CH

IDFA Visitors in 2013: 220,000

Locarno Festival Visitors in 2013: 162,919

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Famous personalities from the international film world NL

CH

Directors: Joris Ivens, Bert Haanstra, Paul Verhoeven and Jan de Bont Actors: Jeroen Krabbé, Rutger Hauer, Pierre Bokma, Carice van Houten, Silvia Hoeks, Famke Jansen, Rebecca Romijn

Directors: Jean-Luc Goddard, Marc Forster, Dani Levy Actors: Maximillian Schell, Bruno Ganz, Ursula Andress

| 55 |

NL

CH

NL authors published in CH and CH authors published in NL

Herman Koch, Cees Nooteboom, Harry Mulisch, Connie Palmen, Margriet de Moor, Arnon Grünberg, Leon de Winter

Charles Lewinsky, Max Frisch, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Gottfried Keller, Johanna Spyri, Pascal Mercier, Joël Dicker

NL musicians known in CH (and vice versa)

André Rieu, The Nits, Armin van Buren, Janine Janssen, Candy Dulfer, Bernard Haitink (conductor)

Andreas Vollenweider, DJ Bobo, Gotthard

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Important artists

Van Gogh Rembrandt Karel Appel

Alberto Giacometti Paul Klee Ferdinand Hodler

Famous architects

Rem Koolhaas, Hendrik Berlage, Gerrit Rietveld

Le Corbusier, Mario Botta, Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron, Peter Zumthor

Other famous people

Erasmus, Willem van Oranje, Hugo de Groot, Spinoza, Christiaan Huygens, Multatuli (Max Havelaar), Mata Hari

Albert Einstein, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Wilhelm Tell, Henri Dunant, Carl Gustav Jung, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi

| 56 |

International art fairs: NL

CH

The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) Maastricht Every year in March Visitors in 2013: 70,000

Art Basel Every year in June Visitors in 2013: 70,000

Art Rotterdam Every year in February Visitors in 2013: 16,000

Art International Zürich Every year in October Visitors in 2013: 18,000

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Photo 18 The Night Watch of Rembrandt, Source: Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum reopened in 2013 after ten years of renovation and welcomed 2’220’000 visitors

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Music festivals (2013) NL

CH

Classical

Grachtenfestival: 63,000 visitors

Lucerne Summer Festival: 137,500 visitors

Jazz

North Sea Jazz: 70,000 visitors

Montreux Jazz Festival: 250,000 visitors

Rock/pop

Pinkpop: 180,000 visitors

Paléo Festival: 230,000 visitors

Famous inventions | 58 |

NL

CH

First navigable submarine (1620) - Cornelis Jacobsz. Drebbel

Milk chocolate (1887) Daniel Peter

Pendulum clock (1656) Christiaan Huygens

Swiss Army Knife (1890s) Karl Elsener

Olympic flame (1928) Jan Wils

Muesli (1900) Maximilian Bircher-Benner

Artificial kidney (1943) Willem Kolff

Helvetica font (1957) Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann

Compact Disc (1982) Philips

Internet time (1998) Swatch

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Working with the Dutch (Source: Undutchables, E-diplomats (2010)): • It is common for a topic to be covered from every angle very thoroughly, with each person’s opinion fully expressed and considered. • The Dutch tend to be direct, giving straight yes or no answers. They tend to be willing to innovate or experiment, minimising risk is always a priority. The frankness does leave room for debate and constructive criticism. There is a general willingness to answer questions. It is often better to ask several questions, than to keep quiet and potentially misinterpret situations. To a foreigner this may seem intimidating, especially in cultures where matters are discussed with extreme care and politeness. • The Dutch are very organised and tend to work according to a strict schedule. Time is money and meetings are held in the most time-saving and efficient way. The Dutch take punctuality seriously and expect others to do likewise. If in the unfortunate situation you are delayed, even if it’s just for five minutes, it is wise to call with an explanation. • In the Netherlands, commitments are taken seriously. Promises are only made when there is a certainty that they can be delivered. An agreement, whether spoken or written, is considered binding.

| 59 |

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Working with the Swiss (Source: worldbusinessculture) :

| 60 |

• Punctuality is of critical importance. Do not be late for meetings, it reflects poorly on your professionalism. • Be well prepared and earn trust, once the trust is gained it will create a solid base for a good relationship for many years. • The Swiss demand quality, not a compromise. The Swiss prefer to pay more and be sure of a good product. • Family businesses are very highly appreciated. • The Swiss value sustainability and corporate responsibility • It is important to be unpretentious in Switzerland. Don’t let people think that you think you are somebody important. Reserve and objectivity are valued highly. • The Swiss have a lot of sympathy for the Dutch whom they consider serious, direct, reliable and having a sense of humour. • Many Dutch people are active in the Swiss business world. The Dutch are often to be found in communication positions, social activities and in the medical sector. • The Swiss approach to business can be classified as orderly, thoughtful and respectful. Pre-planning and risk aversion are important concerns. • Meetings in Switzerland come in all shapes and sizes, but the larger the meeting the more formal it is likely to be. Formal meetings will be very highly structured, following an agenda in a linear-active way. There is little off-the-cuff deviation from the pre-determined approach. It is expected that people will arrive at the meeting well-prepared, with sufficient information to hand to allow them to debate any particular issue in detail.

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Photo 19 Prinsengracht, Amsterdam, Source: Fred Hendriks

• Business and private are not interchangeable. Meetings rarely begin with personal small talk and it can take time to create a close relationship with key Swiss contacts. • Food is important, so it is not always a good idea to talk business at mealtimes - be guided by your hosts on this. • As a whole, the Swiss are uncomfortable with change. Changes need to be introduced slowly and explained fully.

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Addresses Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Seftigenstrasse 7 CH-3007 BERN Website: http://Zwitserland.NLAmbassade.org Facebook: www.Facebook.com/NLAmbassadeZwitserland Telephone: +41 (0)31 350 87 00 E-mail: [email protected] Economic section: +41 (0)31 350 87 05 E-mail: [email protected] | 62 |

Consulate general, Zürich Binzstrasse 18 8045 Zürich Telephone: +41 (0)44 455 60 02 E-mail: [email protected] Consulate general, Geneva Rue de la Scie 4 1207 Genève Telephone: +41 (0)79 927 66 00 E-mail: [email protected] Consulate, Basel Stiftsgasse 9 4051 Basel Telephone: +41 (0)61 261 19 39 E-mail: [email protected]

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Consulate, Lugano Casella Postale 403 6908 Massagno Telephone: +41 (0)91 966 12 74 E-mail: [email protected] Consulate, Vaduz Litzistrasse 20 FL - 9497 Triesenberg Liechtenstein Telephone: + 423 262 01 05 E-mail: [email protected] | 63 |

Embassy of Switzerland Lange Voorhout 42 2514 EE The Hague http://www.eda.admin.ch/denhaag Telephone: +31 (0)70 364 28 .31 E-mail: [email protected] Dutch Societies in Switzerland For a complete overview go to the website of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands: http://Zwitserland.NLAmbassade.org

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

Recommended websites

| 64 |

• http://Zwitserland.NLAmbassade.org Dutch Embassy in Bern • http://www.government.nl Government of the Netherlands • http://www.government.nl/ministries/bz Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs • http://www.government.nl/ministries/ez Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs • http://www.hollandtrade.com The Netherlands Enterprise Agency • http://www.nfia.nl Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency • http://www.innovatie.ch Netherlands Innovation Attaché Network for Switzerland • http://www.dbrt.ch Dutch Business Round Table • http://www.cbs.nl Statistics Netherlands • http://www.dnb.nl The Dutch National Bank • http://www.holland.com Dutch Board of Tourism • http://www.iamsterdam.com Amsterdam Tourism • http://www.eda.admin.ch/denhaag Swiss Embassy in The Hague • http://www.admin.ch Swiss Government

The Netherlands and Switzerland | Food for thought

• http://www.s-ge.com Official trade and investment association of Switzerland • http://www.swissfairs.com Swiss trade fairs • http://www.snb.ch The Swiss National Bank • http://www.myswitzerland.com Switzerland Tourism • http://www.ezv.admin.ch Customs Administration • http://www.bfs.admin.ch Swiss statistics • http://www.belastingdienst.nl Dutch Tax and Customs Administration

Although the information in this publication has been checked with the utmost care the publishers do not accept responsibility for omissions and errors.

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This booklet gives a brief overview of similarities and differences between the Netherlands and Switzerland.

ks between the Netherlands and Switzerland | Links between the Netherlands and Switzerland | Links between the Nethe Published by: The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Berne http://zwitserland.nlambassade.org/ July 2014