[JURIST] The Netherlands will vote in a non-binding advisory referendum on Wednesday regarding Dutch ratification of the EU-Ukraine trade agreement. The EU-Ukraine deal [materials] will remove trade barriers between the European Union (EU) [official website] and the Ukraine. Many Dutch citizens view the EU unfavorably [AP report] due to its expansion and allegedly “undemocratic decision-making processes.” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte stated to the press [NU report, in Dutch] about the deal: “[W]e believe that Ukraine should have both a good relationship with Europe and with Russia. [They] can not if they are in the European Union.”

The EU is a partnership of 28 European countries for political and economic purposes, with its own currency adopted by 19 member nations. It began in the 1950s as the European Economic Community (EEC) to promote a single economic market without trade barriers. The Treaty on the European Union was signed in the Netherlands in 1992, and an EU Constitution was approved by the member nations in 2004. In the years since, many in the UK have voiced concerns about remaining in the EU, with critics saying it has too much control over UK citizens. In February the UK Prime Minister David Cameron announced [JURIST report] that the UK will hold a referendum on June 23 to vote on whether the nation will remain a part of the European Union. Last month the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) addressed the agreement [JURIST report] between the (EU) and Turkey, stating that it is important to ensure safeguards in executing the agreement and to respect international and European law in the process.