All the coffee shops in the border towns of Roosendaal and Bergen op Zoom must close by September 16 2009, the towns’ respective mayors confirmed on Thursday.

The mayors said last year that by closing the coffee shops, a euphemism for cafes selling marijuhana, they hoped to bring to an end the nuisance caused by the 25,000 drug tourists a week.
Lawyer Harrie Nieland who represents the coffee shops told the paper there was little he could do until they are actually closed down. ‘But if you want to change drug policy, you first need to discuss it nationally and also check EU law if you want to discourage European tourists,’ he told the Telegraaf.