What clauses are required in a Netherlands Non-Disclosure Agreement?

Netherlands law requires specific provisions including: Definitie vertrouwelijke informatie / Definition of Confidential Information, Wet bescherming bedrijfsgeheimen / Trade Secrets Protection, Boetebeding / Penalty Clause. contract.diy automatically includes all mandatory clauses with proper legal citations when generating your Non-Disclosure Agreement.

What terms are prohibited in a Netherlands Non-Disclosure Agreement?

Under Netherlands law, certain provisions are void or unenforceable, including: Disproportionate penalty clause without judicial moderation right; Blanket waiver of all legal remedies. contract.diy is built to avoid these terms and will warn you if your description suggests including something that's not legally permissible.

How does contract.diy ensure my Non-Disclosure Agreement complies with Netherlands law?

Every generated contract goes through 9 automated compliance checks specific to Netherlands. These cover mandatory provisions, prohibited terms, proper citations, and formation requirements. Any issues are flagged before you download.

Can I use this Non-Disclosure Agreement template outside of Netherlands?

This template is specifically tailored to Netherlands law. Using it in another jurisdiction may result in missing requirements or including provisions that don't apply. We recommend generating a new contract with the correct jurisdiction selected for full compliance.

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Non-Disclosure Agreement for Netherlands

Generate a non-disclosure agreement that complies with Netherlands law — with 7 mandatory clauses and 9 compliance checks built in.

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Key legal considerations

You are generating a Dutch NDA (geheimhoudingsovereenkomst) governed by Dutch law. 1. NO CONSIDERATION NEEDED: Unlike English law, Dutch contract law does not require consideration. A binding agreement is formed by offer and acceptance (aanbod en aanvaarding, art. 6:217 BW). 2. TRADE SECRETS: The Wet bescherming bedrijfsgeheimen (Wbb, Stb. 2018/369) implements EU Directive 2016/943. A trade secret must: (a) not be generally known, (b) have commercial value because it is secret, and (c) be subject to reasonable secrecy measures by the holder. Remedies include injunction, recall of goods, damages, and publication of judgment. 3. PENALTY CLAUSE (BOETEBEDING): Very common in Dutch NDAs. Arts. 6:91–6:94 BW. The court can moderate (matigen) the penalty if equity manifestly requires it (art. 6:94). Unlike English law, penalty clauses are generally enforceable in the Netherlands. 4. GENERAL CONDITIONS (ALGEMENE VOORWAARDEN): If the NDA is part of standard terms, arts. 6:231–6:247 BW apply. Standard terms must be provided to the other party before or at the time of contracting. The 'black list' (art. 6:236) and 'grey list' (art. 6:237) apply to B2C contracts. 5. GOOD FAITH: Dutch law imposes a duty of good faith and fair dealing (redelijkheid en billijkheid, art. 6:248 BW) that permeates all contractual relationships. A contractual term can be set aside if its application would be unacceptable according to standards of reasonableness and fairness. 6. KORT GEDING: For urgent breaches, the injured party can seek an injunction via kort geding (summary proceedings) at the Rechtbank. This is faster and cheaper than regular proceedings.

What's required

Mandatory clauses for a valid non-disclosure agreement under Netherlands law.

Definitie vertrouwelijke informatie / Definition of Confidential Information
Wet bescherming bedrijfsgeheimen / Trade Secrets Protection
Wet bescherming bedrijfsgeheimen (Stb. 2018, 369); Richtlijn (EU) 2016/943
Boetebeding / Penalty Clause
BW art. 6:91–6:94
AVG/GDPR Data Protection Compliance
Verordening (EU) 2016/679 (AVG/GDPR); Uitvoeringswet AVG (Stb. 2018, 144)
Toepasselijk recht en geschillenbeslechting / Governing Law
Electronic Signatures / Elektronische handtekening
Verordening (EU) 910/2014 (eIDAS); BW art. 3:15a
GDPR Data Processing Notice
Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR)

What's prohibited

Terms and provisions that are void or unenforceable under Netherlands law.

Disproportionate penalty clause without judicial moderation right
Under Article 6:94 BW, a court may moderate a contractual penalty if equity manifestly requires it. Any clause attempting to exclude the court's power of moderation may be considered contrary to good faith and fair dealing (redelijkheid en billijkheid, art. 6:248 lid 2 BW) and is likely unenforceable.
BW art. 6:94; BW art. 6:248 lid 2
Blanket waiver of all legal remedies
Under Dutch law, contractual provisions that are unreasonable or contrary to public policy (openbare orde) or good morals (goede zeden) are void (art. 3:40 BW). A blanket waiver of all rights and remedies would be unenforceable.
BW art. 3:40

Legal references

Key statutes and regulations that govern non-disclosure agreements in Netherlands.

Wet bescherming bedrijfsgeheimen (Trade Secrets Protection Act)
Wet bescherming bedrijfsgeheimen (Stb. 2018, 369)
Dutch implementation of EU Trade Secrets Directive (2016/943). Defines trade secrets and provides civil remedies for unlawful acquisition, use, or disclosure. Entered into force 23 October 2018.
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Burgerlijk Wetboek Boek 6 (Verbintenissenrecht)
BW Boek 6
Book 6 of the Dutch Civil Code governs the law of obligations including contract formation (Titel 5), non-performance and remedies (Titel 1 Afd. 9), and general conditions (Titel 5 Afd. 3, arts. 6:231–6:247).
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AVG / GDPR & Uitvoeringswet AVG
Verordening (EU) 2016/679; Uitvoeringswet AVG (Stb. 2018, 144)
The GDPR applies directly in the Netherlands. The Uitvoeringswet AVG (UAVG) provides Dutch implementation rules, including supervision by the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP).
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BW art. 3:15a (Electronic Signatures)
BW art. 3:15a
Provides that an electronic signature has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature if the method used is sufficiently reliable.
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General Data Protection Regulation
Regulation (EU) 2016/679
EU-wide data protection regulation; applies to all processing of personal data.
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