WORLD TRADE G/TBT/Notif.98.72
17February 1998
ORGANIZATION
(98-0567)
Committee onTechnical Barriers toTrade
NOTIFICATION
Thefollowing notification isbeing circulated inaccordance withArticle 10.6.
1. Member toAgreement notifying: NETHERLANDS
Ifapplicable, name oflocalgovernment involved (Articles 3.2and7.2):
2. Agency responsible: Ministry ofEconomic Affairs.
Agency orauthority designated tohandle comments regarding thenotification shall be
indicated ifdifferent from above: National Enquiry Point
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X],2.10.1 [],5.6.2 [],5.7.1 [],other:
4. Products covered (HSorCCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICSnumbers maybeprovided inaddition, where applicable): Mining installations,
piping andcabling, stored substances.
5. Title, number ofpages andlanguage(s) ofthenotified document: Rules Regarding the
Exploration andMining ofMinerals andRegarding Activities Related toMining
(Mining Act)
6. Description ofcontent: TheActcontains rules pertaining totheexploration andmining
ofminerals, underground storage andactivities related tomining. Chapter 1contains a
number ofdefinitions andgeneral provisions. Itis,interalia,established thattheAct
alsoapplies tothecontinental shelf andthatminerals arestate property. Chapter 2
stipulates thatalicence isrequired fortheexploration andmining ofminerals or
terrestrial heat, andthisobligation isdescribed inmore detail. Chapter 3specifies that
alicence isrequired tostore substances. Alicence isnotrequired, however, for
categories ofcases described inaGeneral Administrative Order. Chapter 4contains
provisions toensure thatmining activities arecarried outproperly. Tothisend,
financial surety, interalia,isprescribed inanumber ofcases andrules areincluded, on
thebasis ofwhich rules maybedrawn upregarding theprotection ofsafety andhealth
ofpersons andtheenvironment. Chapter 5laysdown thefinancial commitments inthe
case ofexploration andmining ofminerals andterrestrial heatorthestoring of
substances. Chapter 6provides forthesetting-up andthetasks oftwoadvisory bodies.
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6. Description ofcontent (cond't):Chapter 7specifies theinformation which theparty that
carries outmining activities isrequired toprovide. Chapter 8provides forthe
supervision ofthecompliance withtheprovisions inorinaccordance withtheAct. It
alsoregulates theenforcement thereof. Chapter 9regulates thelegal protection against
decisions which have been taken onthebasis oftheAct. Chapter 10contains
transitional legislation, andinChapter 11,anumber ofActsisrepealed oramended.
Chapter 12contains finalprovisions. According totheDutch government, thedraftAct
referred toinpoint 5probably contains technical regulations within themeaning ofthe
Agreement onTechnical Barriers toTrade. Indicatively, thefollowing maybedeemed
technical regulations: thelicensing dutyforstoring substances referred toinArticle 3.1,
paragraph 1andtheprovisions pertaining totheremoval ofdecommissioned mining
installations, piping andcabling asreferred toinArticles 4.6and4.7.
7. Objective andrationale, including thenature ofurgent problems where applicable:
Insofar asArticle 3.1,paragraph 1,Article 4.6,paragraph 1andArticle 4.7ofthedraft
contain quantitative import restrictions ormeasures ofequal effect within themeaning of
theAgreement onTechnical Barriers toTrade, these measures willbejustified inthe
interest ofprotecting thehealth andlifeofhumans, animals andplants andofthe
environment.
8. Relevant documents: -
9. Proposed dateofadoption:
Proposed dateofentry intoforce:1March 1999
10. Final dateforcomments: 23April 1998
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [X]oraddress, e-mail andtelefax number
ofother body: