The Dutch are known for their consensus building oriented decision-making culture, where representatives of organized stakeholder groups actively participate in decision-making processes. Water management in the Netherlands is the one public sector where public participation has been relatively poor. Recently a new challenge has arisen: the provisions on public participation of the EU Water Framework Directive, which is faced in a very pragmatic and seemingly minimalist way. This contribution presents and evaluates the current practice and plans for public participation in water management in the Netherlands. Two case studies are presented and evaluated. This evaluation shows that the Dutch pragmatism can work, but does not live up to EU standards. Should the Dutch adapt or continue in their pragmatic fashion?