The environmental implementation review : the Netherlands.
Date: 2019-04-08
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment
Subjects: EU environmental policy, Netherlands, circular economy, environmental law, environmental protection, national implementing measure

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The Environmental  
Implementation Review

THE NETHERLANDS

Europe has ambitious laws and policies to protect air and water, to promote the circular economy, raise recycling rates and 

safeguard nature. Implementing them is key to achieving our environmental objectives. This is why the European Commission 

launched the Environmental Implementation Review (EIR), a tool to help countries address systemic obstacles to environmental 

integration by identifying the causes behind poor implementation. The EIR comprises a regular cycle of analysis, dialogue and 

peer-to-peer support. This factsheet summarises the results of the second EIR package published in April 2019.

Country profile
The  Netherlands  is  a  densely  populated, 
low-lying  country  with  rather  scarce  natural 
resources. It has sound long-term planning, a 
willingness  to  explore  new  approaches,  and 
overall a good record in implementing EU en-
vironmental  legislation,  supported  by  innov-
ative  multi-level  governance.    Among  other 
concerns, highly intensified agriculture across 
the  country  creates  specific  challenges  to  be 
addressed and opportunities to be exploited.

Main progress EIR 2019
 ✚  As regards water quality, there has been some progress in reducing 

nutrient concentration and eutrophication. 

 ✚  For  air  quality,  there  has  also  been  some  progress  with  a 
continuation of the steady decrease of emissions to air in previous 
years.  Innovative  solutions  to  reduce  traffic  congestion  are  being 
tested in a number of cities and are helping to reduce the use of 
older diesel cars, which will have a positive impact on air pollutants. 

 ✚  Regarding nature conservation, although some progress has been 
made  to  improve  the  status  of  species  and  habitats,  there  is  still 
considerable room for improvement. 

EXAMPLES OF GOOD PRACTICE FROM THE NETHERLANDS

 ✚  Circular economy actions continue to play an important role. The country is an example of public-private partnership and the 
best performer in terms of resource productivity. Small businesses are becoming increasingly circular and the recycling rate 
for municipal waste is among the highest in the EU. The programme ‘A circular economy in the Netherlands by 2050’ is one 
of the most far-reaching in the EU.

 ✚  Green public procurement already exceeds European Commission recommendations. The Netherlands has several circular 
procurement practices in place and the ‘green deal’ programme has begun with a number of pilots and guidance for functional 
specifications.

 ✚  The Netherlands excels at water-related projects and nature restoration on former agricultural land. Examples include projects 
such as Sand Motor and Marker Wadden and the transformation of 80 000 hectares of agricultural land which have been 
included in the National Ecological Network.

Environment

 
 
Main challenges EIR 2019

Water quality

Nitrate  pollution  remains  a  major  concern 
despite efforts by the Dutch government through the national 
action  programme  for  nitrates.  A  derogation  for  nitrogen 
from  livestock  has  been  granted  on  several  conditions, 
including  limits  to  phosphate  production  and  an  enhanced 
enforcement strategy to address, inter alia, improper animal 
registration.  However,  continued  progress  is  needed  to 
achieve full compliance. 

Air quality

In 2017, EU air-quality standards for nitrogen 
dioxide were exceeded in two air-quality zones (Amsterdam and 
Rotterdam).  According  to  the  European  Environment  Agency, 
air  pollution  was  responsible  for  about  12 000  premature 

deaths  in  the  Netherlands  in  2015.  Additional  efforts  are 
needed to meet the commitments laid down in the EU National 
Emissions Ceilings Directive for 2020 to 2029 and for any year 
from 2030.

Nature protection

Habitat  fragmentation,  atmospheric  nitro-
gen  deposition,  desiccation  and  acidification  all  affect 
the country’s Natura 2000 network which is still smaller 
than  the  EU  average.  In  addition,  farmland  bird  popula-
tions  continue  to  experience  significant  decline  despite 
national protection measures.

Peer-to-Peer support

The EIR is supported by the TAIEX-EIR Peer-to-Peer (EIR P2P) tool. It finances peer-to-peer learning between environmental 
authorities in the Member States. In 2018, the Netherlands participated in six P2P events on various topics, including air 
pollution and the circular economy.

The full country report on the Netherlands and the other country reports, as well as the Communication ‘Environmental 
Implementation Review 2019: A Europe that protects its citizens and enhances their quality of life’ are available here:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eir/index_en.htm

#EIReview

EU_ENV

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Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2019  
© European Union, 2019
Reuse is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.  

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ISBN 978-92-79-99304-6

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doi:10.2779/591741

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