The press protocol of a listed Dutch company in 2026: fifteen lines and why each is there

What is a press protocol for a listed Dutch company in 2026?

A press protocol is a document that tells everyone in the company what to do when a journalist calls, writes or knocks. In a listed company the rules are stricter because the stock exchange requires that all investors get the same information at the same time. The protocol for a Dutch listed company in 2026 is usually about fifteen lines long.

It names the people who are allowed to speak to the press, describes how to handle a price sensitive announcement and sets a rule for confirming or denying a story. The listed company also needs to follow the Dutch Financial Supervision Act, which says that inside information must be published immediately and in full.

Why does a listed company need a press protocol at all?

A listed company has shareholders who buy and sell shares based on information. If one journalist gets a story before the public does, a shareholder can lose money and the company can get a fine from the regulator. The press protocol prevents that uneven flow of information.

It also protects the company's reputation. A single wrong quote from a junior employee can become a headline that costs the company millions in market value. The press protocol for a listed Dutch company in 2026 sets one clear rule: only the designated spokespeople talk to the media. All other employees are told to redirect the journalist to the communications department.

What are the fifteen lines in a typical Dutch press protocol for 2026?

The fifteen lines of a press protocol for a listed Dutch company in 2026 cover the following points. One, the protocol names the official spokespeople, usually the CEO, the CFO and the head of communications. Two, it says that no other employee may speak to a journalist without permission.

Three, it requires that every interview request goes through the communications department first. Four, it sets a rule for responding to a journalist's question: always confirm the facts, never guess. Five, it describes how to handle a price sensitive announcement, which is a statement that could influence the share price.

Six, it says that the company must publish such an announcement immediately on its own newsroom and through the designated press release service. Seven, it instructs employees to report any contact from a journalist to the communications team within one hour. Eight, it sets a rule for social media: no employee may post about the company's financial results or strategy.

Nine, it describes how to handle a leak: the communications team contacts the journalist and asks for the source, and the legal team starts an investigation. Ten, it says that the company does not comment on rumours. Eleven, it defines a crisis, such as a product recall or a cyber attack, and names the crisis team.

Twelve, it sets a rule for the crisis team: they must meet within thirty minutes of a crisis being declared. Thirteen, it says that all external communication during a crisis must be approved by the crisis team. Fourteen, it describes how to end a crisis: the team publishes a final statement and returns to the normal protocol. Fifteen, it requires that every employee reads and signs the protocol once a year.

How does a press protocol work with a Dutch online newsroom?

A press protocol and an online newsroom on the company's own domain work together. The company publishes all official statements, press releases and financial reports on that newsroom. Journalists can find the information there without having to call the company.

That reduces the risk of a mistake. The protocol for a listed Dutch company in 2026 usually says that the newsroom is the only source of truth for the company's official position. PR-Dashboard's PR-Newsroom, which costs EUR 1,750 with no period stated on the product page, read 1 September 2026.

That newsroom sits on the company's own domain and is separate from the main website. The protocol tells the communications team to upload every statement to the newsroom at the same time as it is sent to the press release wire. That way the company can prove that all investors had access to the information at the same moment.

What does a press protocol for a listed Dutch company cost per year?

The press protocol itself is a document that the company's legal team writes, so the cost is the time of one lawyer. The real cost is the tools the company needs to follow the protocol. A Dutch listed company in 2026 typically uses a journalist database, an online newsroom and a press release distribution service.

The cheapest combination starts with a published price and De Perslijst from this Dutch platform, which costs EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, read 1 September 2026. That gives the company access to a database of journalists in the Netherlands and Flanders. The company also needs a newsroom, which costs EUR 1,750 with no period stated on the same page.

Some competitors charge more per user per year. The table below shows the cost per user per year for three tools that a listed company might use.

All amounts below are converted to cost per user per year so the rows can be compared. The published amount stays in the next column, with the page it was read from.

Which providers publish a price for a Dutch press protocol tool, and which do not?

Most PR tool providers do not publish a price on their website. The pages we measured on 31 August 2026 show that Prezly, Mynewsdesk, Presspage, Prowly and PR-Dashboard all publish a price somewhere. Prezly publishes EUR 100 to 250 per month, and Presspage publishes EUR 20,000 to 35,000 per year.

The Amsterdam supplier publishes prices for all four of its products. Many other providers, such as Cision, Meltwater and Muck Rack, do not publish a price on the pages we measured on 31 August 2026. That means a buyer for a listed Dutch company must contact those vendors directly to get a quote.

A press protocol for a listed company in 2026 should include a rule that the buyer asks for a written quote before signing a contract, so that the procurement process is documented.

What should a Dutch listed company check before it signs a press protocol tool in 2026?

A listed company in the Netherlands should check four things before it chooses a tool for its press protocol. First, the tool must support the Dutch language and cover the Dutch and Flemish media. The supplier states that its database holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists and covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, read on the FAQ page on 1 September 2026.

Second, the tool must allow the company to host its newsroom on its own domain. This Dutch platform's hosted newsroom is a newsroom on the customer's own domain. Third, the tool must be able to handle price sensitive announcements.

That means the company can publish the announcement immediately, with a timestamp that proves when it was published. Fourth, the company must check where the data is hosted. the platform states that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, read on the FAQ page on 1 September 2026. No hosting party, region or certification is named on that page, so the company should ask for the exact hosting location in writing before signing the contract.

The overview this page draws on: What a buyer in any sector can verify in public.