The Council of State has decided that Minister of Social Affairs Lodewijk Asscher was right to fine, up until January 2014, companies that employed a Bulgarian without a work permit. This decision cancels a ruling by a court in Breda, which held that no work permit was needed for Eastern Europeans, as Japanese nationals don't need one to work in the Netherlands. The present decision makes clear that while Bulgarians shouldn't be treated less favorably than people from outside the EU, current rules matter. An appeal, such as a complaint to the European Commission, is being considered.