By a vote of 49 to 26, the Upper House approved the bill that officially made it legal to run a brothel anywhere in the country, subject to local zoning ordinances. The Lower House passed the bill in February by an overwhelming majority. Tuesday's vote went along party lines, with the opposition Christian Democratic Alliance as the major opponent, supported by a bloc of small conservative Christian factions. The CDA was not opposed to brothels as such, but wanted to reserve the right of local authorities to make their communities brothel-free. The new law is aimed at guaranteeing cleaner and safer working conditions for the country's estimated 30,000 prostitutes and allowing police to focus their crackdowns on the employment of illegal immigrants and underaged girls.
Prostitution is already legal in the Netherlands.
Although bordellos have been illegal, they have long been allowed to operate in clearly defined areas such as the red light districts of Amsterdam and most other major cities, as long as they follow strict standards for health and fire safety. The Dutch Senate passed a law on Tuesday legalising brothels. Here are some basic facts about prostitution in the Netherlands. Prostitution was banned in the 17th century but Napoleon legalised it in 1815, imposing complex regulations. In 1911, brothels were outlawed.