Firstly, in the Netherlands, you can’t simply scatter ashes wherever you choose. Ashes must be scattered in a designated place, and the trouble is that there appears to be a huge disparity in what councils charge for the privilege.
This issue was reported by Dutch News, following an investigation by the consumer affairs television programme Kassa (which translates, rather neatly, as Cash).
Among the Netherlands’ 400-plus local councils, the most expensive appears to be Hardinxveld-Giessendam, which charges a remarkable €1,079.75 to scatter ashes. Other councils, including Nijkerk, Papendrecht and Sluis, also charge more than €700.
At the other end of the scale, councils such as IJsselstein and Bodegraven do not charge at all — well done them. The average fee sits somewhere around €150, which only serves to highlight how indefensible the higher charges really are.
This is a classic example of poor and unnecessary regulation creating local monopolies, which in turn leads to unfairness and the quiet exploitation of people at their most vulnerable.
What I also enjoyed about the article were the comments that followed. I’m a fan of Holland and Dutch culture, so would it sound dreadful to say I thought some of the comments were splendidly Dutch?
“I shall be telling my children to break the law and scatter me wherever they want, as a final nose-thumb to the rip-off Dutch authorities.”
“Imagine getting caught illegally scattering a loved one’s ashes — how embarrassing! I won’t even contemplate how heavy the money-grabbing fine would be. Probably more than letting your dog foul a footpath.”
“Please scatter my ashes on an illegal marijuana plantation. Cheers.”
“Who follows this law? Ashes are handed to the next of kin — how would anyone even know?”
“The fine for emptying your car ashtray in public is €90.”
“Don’t say this too loudly. There’ll soon be a government department where you must prove, once a year and for a fee, that you still have the ashes.”
“This doesn’t surprise me at all. Oh, Netherlands…”
Humour aside, the underlying issue is serious. When families are grieving, they should not be navigating a postcode lottery of fees, bureaucracy and penalties simply to say goodbye in a meaningful way.
And when regulation drifts so far from common sense that it becomes unenforceable — or quietly ignored — it’s usually a sign that the system itself needs rethinking.
http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2013/01/councils_charge_up_to_1000_to.php