The special municipalities () carry many of the functions normally performed by
Dutch municipalities. The executive power rests with the Governing Council headed by an Island governor. The main democratic body is the
island council. Dutch citizens of these three islands are entitled to vote in Dutch national elections and (as all Dutch nationals) in European elections. Officially the islands are classed in Dutch law as being (literally translated as "public bodies") and not (
municipalities). Unlike normal municipalities, they do not form part of a
Dutch province and the powers normally exercised by provincial councils within municipalities are divided between the island governments themselves and the central government by means of the
National Office for the Caribbean Netherlands. For this reason, they are called "special" municipalities. Many Dutch laws have a special Caribbean Netherlands version. For example,
social security is not on the same level as it is in the European Netherlands.
National Office The
National Office for the Caribbean Netherlands () is responsible for taxation, policing, immigration, transport infrastructure, health, education, and social security in the islands and provides these services on behalf of the Government of the Netherlands. This agency was established as the Regional Service Centre in 2008 and became the National Office for the Caribbean Netherlands on 1 September 2010. The current director is Jan Helmond. The
Representative for the public bodies of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba represents the Government of the Netherlands on the islands and also performs tasks similar to a
King's Commissioner. The current representative is Gilbert Isabella.
Relationship with the European Union The islands do not form part of the
European Union and instead constitute "overseas countries and territories" (
OCT status) of the Union, to which
special provisions apply. The
Lisbon Treaty introduced a procedure where the
European Council may change the status of an overseas territory of Denmark, France, or the Netherlands regarding the application of the EU treaties to that territory. In June 2008, the Dutch government published a survey of the legal and economic impacts by a switched status from OCT to
outermost region (OMR). The position of the islands was reviewed after a five-year transitional period, which began with the
dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in October 2010. The review was conducted as part of the planned review of the Dutch "Act for the
public bodies Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba" (), where the islands have been granted the option to become an OMR – and thus a direct part of the European Union. In October 2015, the review concluded the present legal structures for governance and integration with European Netherlands was not working well within the framework of WolBES, but no recommendations were made in regards of whether a switch from OCT to OMR status would help improve this situation.
Foreign policy and defence The Kingdom of the Netherlands has overarching responsibility for foreign relations, defence and Dutch nationality law in the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom. Units of the
Netherlands Armed Forces deployed in the Caribbean include: • 32 Infantry Company of the
Royal Netherlands Marine Corps on Aruba; • a Marine Corps detachment on Sint Maarten; • a Fast Raiding Interception and Special Forces Craft (FRISC) troop (fast boats) on Curaçao and Aruba; • a company of the
Royal Netherlands Army on Curaçao on a rotational basis; • a guardship, normally a , from the
Royal Netherlands Navy on station on a rotational basis; • the Royal Netherlands Navy support vessel ; • Arumil (Aruban) and Curmil (Curaçaoan) militia elements; • a Netherlands Armed Forces
Royal Marechaussee brigade. Additionally, the
Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard is funded by the four countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Coast Guard is managed by the Ministry of Defence and is directed by the commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy in the Caribbean. == Geography ==