House of Representatives informed on Data Vision progress

On 3 July 2023, Minister Adriaansens (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, EZK) informed the House of Representatives (‘Tweede Kamer’) via a parliamentary letter about current developments regarding the Data Vision Business Register (‘Datavisie Handelsregister’). The aim of the 'Datavisie' is to implement measures to improve the privacy of entrepreneurs and others registered in the Business Register. It also includes measures for legal security and fighting fraud. In recent months, the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce KVK has been investigating the impact of the 'Datavisie' during the implementation of various measures. Giving Business Register registrants control over their own data and further developing the 'Mijn KVK’ environment emerged as some of the overall needs for the purpose of implementation.

Making telephone and fax numbers non-public

In last January's parliamentary letter (in Dutch), the minister indicated that both telephone and fax numbers, as well as email addresses, of all Business Register registrants will no longer be public in the future. In light of the upcoming law changes, KVK has already started preparations. KVK will start making telephone and fax numbers non-public this autumn. Email addresses will remain public for the time being, in connection with the upcoming change in the EU Companies Directive. This EU directive may contain rules for the (mandatory) publication of email addresses of limited liability companies and partnerships. National regulations will have to take this into account.

Stop Business Register publications and access via authorisation

In line with the 'Datavisie' for the Business Register, KVK will also discontinue 'Business Register publications' on the website this autumn. This is an overview of changes to legal entities in the Business Register, such as incorporations, mergers, and changes of official. The data in this information product can be used for (unwanted) direct marketing purposes.

While more data in the Business Register will become non-public, more organisations will be able to view non-public data than is currently possible. These are organisations with a legal or social task; they will soon have access to non-public Business Register data via an authorisation. After the summer, KVK will start digitising the process around authentication and authorisation.

Gatekeeper role KVK

KVK will have a stronger gatekeeper role in the future. In the recent parliamentary letter (in Dutch), the minister explores the possibility of giving KVK more space to assess registrations or mutations to the Business Register. In case of doubt, they might be able to decide not to directly implement and/or refuse a registration or mutation. In the coming months, KVK will start looking into 'questionable addresses'. The aim is to send a signal to employees if the stated business address does not seem logical. For instance, the address of a government body, such as a penitentiary or a municipality.