VZCZCXRO0430
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTC #2581 3421513
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081513Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7647
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHAT/AMCONSUL AMSTERDAM 1944

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 002581 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, IWI, EUR/PGI, EUR/UBI 
JUSTICE FOR T. MARCH BELL 
DHS FOR OIA, SAC/HOUSTON 
HHS FOR PEDRO MORENO 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM SMIG KCRM KWMN PREL NL
SUBJECT: AMSTERDAM MOVES TO CLEAN UP PROSTITUTION SECTOR 
 
 
¶1.  Summary.  On December 1, 2006, the Amsterdam city 
council decided to cancel licenses for 110 of the 350 
prostitution windows in Amsterdam's Red Light district.  The 
windows, which are operated by a small number of individuals 
who together held 33 licenses to operate them, are scheduled 
to be closed by the end of the year.  The action was taken 
on the basis of information from background checks conducted 
on the operators when they applied to renew their licenses. 
The windows could be reopened if they are sold to other 
operators who can pass the background checks. End Summary. 
 
¶2.  Amsterdam city government's "Van Traa" team, a task 
force responsible for combating organized crime in the city, 
told us of their intention to close down more than 100 
prostitution windows during a July meeting.  Shortly 
thereafter, the Amsterdam City Council announced that the 
city would use the license application and renewal process 
to carefully screen the operators of regulated sex 
businesses, such as brothels and prostitution windows.  The 
new procedures were made possible by the 2003 Public 
Administration Integrity Act (BIBOB), which authorized 
municipal governments to check the criminal records of 
license applicants before deciding whether to grant them a 
license.  BIBOB has become an increasingly popular tool for 
Amsterdam and other municipalities to crack down on 
organized crime. 
 
¶3.  Previously used only to check the background of new 
license applicants, Amsterdam began utilizing BIBOB 
background checks this spring for license renewals.  The 
"Van Traa" team noted that through this intensified 
screening Amsterdam expects to reduce criminality, including 
drug crime, money laundering and human trafficking in the 
city.  The screening process covers licenses to operate 
hotels, restaurants and bars in addition to licenses to 
operate brothels.  An Amsterdam government contact told us 
that every license in Amsterdam's prostitution sector would 
be subject to BIBOB screening by the end of 2007.  She said 
that the Amsterdam city council is scheduled in the near 
future to discuss a proposal to establish a licensing system 
for escort services, which would subject the currently 
unregulated sector to intensified screening requirements. 
 
¶4.  The National BIBOB Bureau, part of the Justice Ministry, 
conducts the actual background investigations on license 
applicants.  According to the City Council press 
announcement, a negative finding by the BIBOB bureau means 
there is a serious risk of the license being used for 
criminal activities.  A negative finding is sufficient to 
deny an application to obtain or renew a license, and to 
force a business to close. 
 
¶5. Operators whose licenses have been cancelled have been 
notified that they must shut down by the end of the year. 
However, closure may be suspended if the license holders 
appeal the decision in administrative court.  The appeal 
process may take several months, during which the 
establishment may continue to operate.  Together with the 
BIBOB bureau, the public prosecutor's office and the police, 
Amsterdam will carefully screen anyone who seeks to buy the 
licenses of the windows scheduled to be closed. 
 
¶6.  Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen told the press that the City 
Council action was a "frontal attack" on criminal activities 
in the Red Light district.  He stated that, through the 
BIBOB Act, Amsterdam can finally take adequate action 
against criminal entrepreneurs. 
 
¶7.  Comment. The "Van Traa" team and other municipal 
authorities responsible for regulating prostitution have 
praised the BIBOB law for giving them the power they need to 
more closely scrutinize sex businesses.  There is no 
indication of human trafficking in any of the windows to be 
closed, but the willingness to close roughly one-third of 
the windows in the Red Light district demonstrates 
Amsterdam's commitment to effectively regulating the sex 
sector. 
 
Arnall