Amsterdam halves closure period: shops and restaurants to close for three months less following explosions

Amsterdam Mayor Halsema has updated the city's closure policy for properties involved in incidents like explosions, illegal gambling, or the discovery of drugs and weapons. Moving forward, the mandatory closure period for shops and restaurants will be reduced from six months to three months. This decision aligns restaurant and retail closure durations with those already applied to residential properties, which officials determined is sufficient time to restore public order while protecting businesses from insurmountable financial hardship. The revised policy comes after several court rulings questioned the proportionality of lengthy closures, particularly when business owners or residents were not directly responsible for criminal activities. In addition to shortening closure terms, the new policy introduces more flexible enforcement options, such as issuing formal warnings or increasing camera surveillance. Furthermore, the timeframe for property owners to request an early reopening has been significantly shortened from eight weeks to two weeks, providing a more balanced approach to local public safety management.