The Netherlands is a founder member of what is now the European Union, which strives for economic and political integration in Europe. As an exporting country and hub of international distribution, the Netherlands can only gain from an effective European market. It regards the EU as a framework for stability, democracy, and sustainable prosperity. The Netherlands will continue to contribute to European integration and will work to introduce the EU's goals to countries where they are not yet established.

The Dutch Government has three European objectives:
- to deepen integration
- further EU enlargement, beyond the ten new countries that joined on 1 May 2004
- to strengthen the EU’s external policy.