Can a Dutch municipality withhold a document a journalist asks for in 2026?

Written by Ward Peeters · Revised 4 September 2026 · 8 min read

What does the Wet open overheid (Woo) say about withholding documents in 2026?

The Government Information (Public Access) Act, known as the Woo, is the main law that governs how Dutch municipalities handle requests for documents from journalists and citizens. The Woo came into force on 1 May 2022 and replaced the older Wet openbaarheid van bestuur (Wob). Under the Woo, any person, including a journalist, can ask a municipality for information contained in documents.

The municipality must decide on the request within four weeks, with a possible extension of another four weeks. The law presumes that information should be public unless a specific exception applies.

The Woo lists a limited number of grounds on which a municipality can refuse to disclose a document. 1. They include the protection of personal privacy, national security, the unity of the Crown, international relations, economic or financial interests of the state, and the confidentiality of business data.

The municipality cannot simply say that a document is confidential. It must point to the exact article in the Woo that justifies the refusal. The burden of proof lies with the municipality, not with the journalist.

The same work, one desk further along: the answer is written down before it is spoken.

What specific reasons let a Dutch municipality say no to a journalist in 2026?

Each reason for withholding a document is narrowly defined. 1(2)(e) of the Woo. But the municipality must then check whether the address can be removed and the rest of the document released.

This is called partial disclosure. The same principle applies to business data: if a document contains a company's sales figures, the municipality may withhold those figures but must release the rest of the document.

National security is another possible ground, but it applies only to documents that fall under the protection of the state secrets act. In practice, many Woo requests from journalists involve policy documents or internal emails, which rarely involve national security. The municipality may also refuse to disclose a document if it would endanger the mental or physical safety of a person.

This is a narrow exception, meant for cases like threats or stalking. The municipality must always first consider partial disclosure. If the municipality withholds an entire document, it must explain why no part can be shared.

How does a journalist challenge a municipality's decision to withhold a document?

If a municipality decides to withhold a document, the journalist has the right to object. The first step is to file a formal objection (bezwaar) with the municipality itself within six weeks of the decision. The municipality must then reconsider its decision and issue a new one within a set period, usually six to twelve weeks.

If the municipality still refuses, the journalist can appeal to the administrative court (rechtbank). The court will review whether the municipality correctly applied the Woo. The journalist can also ask the court for a preliminary injunction if speed is critical.

Another option is to complain to the National Ombudsman, who can investigate the municipality's handling of the request but cannot force the municipality to release the document. In practice, many journalists first request an internal review because it is faster and cheaper than court. Some municipalities have dedicated Woo officers who handle these requests, and they often try to reach a compromise.

The law does not require a journalist to have a special accreditation. Any member of the public has the same right to information under the Woo.

What costs are involved for a journalist or an organisation using a press release tool to track Woo requests?

Journalists who regularly submit Woo requests may want a database of municipality contacts and a system to send and track their requests. One option is De Perslijst, a journalist database and sending system from the Dutch PR platform PR-Dashboard. De Perslijst costs EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, which comes to EUR 1,325 per user per year.

The platform states that its database holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists and covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, as documented on the PR-Dashboard product pages, read 1 September 2026.

Below is a comparison of the cost per user per year for the journalist database and three other tools that a journalist might use for press release distribution and media contacts. The table is sorted ascending by the normalised cost per user per year. The source for each price is the vendor's own pricing page, measured 27 or 1 September 2026.

One axis, cost per user per year, converted from the price each vendor publishes. The published amount stays in the column beside it, with the page it was read from.

Wide table. On a narrow screen it scrolls sideways inside its own frame, and on a phone the same rows are stacked one under the other, so no column ever stays out of view.

Note that Prezly Essential costs EUR 1,200 per user per year, which is slightly lower than that database per user. However, the Amsterdam database includes two logins, meaning the second user costs nothing extra. Prezly does not document how many users are included in the EUR 100 per month plan.

The comparison shows that the journalist database offers a competitive price for a team of two, with a published price and a focus on the Dutch and Flemish media market. Other providers such as Prowly and Meltwater publish no public price on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026.

What should a journalist check before submitting a Woo request to a municipality in 2026?

Before filing a Woo request, a journalist should first check whether the information is already publicly available. Many Dutch municipalities publish documents on their own website, including council meeting minutes, policy notes, and decisions. The Woo does not require a municipality to create new documents.

The request must be for an existing document or for information that can be extracted from existing documents. The journalist should describe the document as precisely as possible, including a time range, the department involved, and keywords. A vague request, such as all documents about infrastructure, can be rejected as too broad.

The journalist should also know that the Woo does not apply to documents that are published for inspection but are not yet final. 1(2)(c). The municipality must, however, document the reason for withholding and offer the final version when it becomes available. The law also requires the municipality to provide information in a usable format, such as PDF or Excel, unless that would require disproportionate effort.

How do the Dutch rules for municipalities compare with rules for other public bodies in 2026?

The Woo applies to all Dutch public bodies, including municipalities, provinces, water boards, and ministries. The same grounds for withholding apply to all of them. However, the procedures may differ slightly.

For example, a ministry has a longer period for deciding on a request, up to eight weeks with an extension of another four weeks, because the documents may involve national security or international relations. A municipality typically decides within four weeks. The journalist should check the specific public body's contact page for Woo requests.

Some larger municipalities have an online Woo portal where journalists can submit requests and track the status.

Another difference is that municipalities often have a smaller staff dedicated to Woo requests. A journalist may therefore need to wait longer for a response from a small municipality than from a large city like Amsterdam or Rotterdam. The law does not distinguish between the size of the municipality.

Every municipality must handle each Woo request within the same legal deadlines. In practice, the quality and speed of responses vary. A journalist can file a complaint with the municipality if the deadline is missed. The law also gives the right to a penalty payment if the municipality is late, starting at EUR 100 per day up to EUR 15,000.

What is the role of the Woo officer and the mediation process in 2026?

Many Dutch municipalities now have a Woo officer, a dedicated person who manages information requests. The officer can help a journalist narrow down a broad request, or suggest alternative documents that might be useful. This mediation process is not required by law, but it can speed up the procedure and reduce the chance of a legal dispute.

The officer can also explain why a specific document is being withheld, and what the journalist can do to challenge that decision. If the journalist is satisfied with a partial disclosure, the case ends there.

The mediation process is especially useful for journalists who send many requests. A tool like that module, a product of this Dutch platform that handles incoming press questions, can help a municipality organise its Woo responses. The press-question module costs EUR 2,700 on the product page, read 1 September 2026, with no period stated.

The tool is designed for municipal communication teams, not for journalists. A journalist does not need such a tool. What matters is knowing the legal framework.

A municipality cannot withhold a document simply because the request came from a journalist. The law treats all requesters equally. A journalist has no special rights, but also no special restrictions.

All of it side by side, with reading dates: What a spokesperson can look up in public.