Water

The Regulation of Discharge Activities in the Environment and Planning Act

The competent authorities and society are growing increasingly concerned about the quality of waste being discharged by companies, in part following the increase in media reports on the quality of surface water and drinking water. Another contributing factor is the Water Framework Directive, which provides that all bodies of surface water in the Netherlands must be in good state by the end of 2027. That context makes it particularly relevant that the EPA's entry into force – and the repeal of the Water Act (Waterwet) and the Activities (Environmental Management) Decree (Activiteitenbesluit milieubeheer) – entail a number of changes in the area of water and discharge which (in the longer term) could create additional obligations for discharging companies.

Our Water factsheet discusses these changes, such as the introduction of rules on discharge activities and the removal of the prohibition on discharging waste into surface water, as well as some practical aspects. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of our experts: Marloes Brans, Luurt Wildeboer, Felix Kelder and Jet Akkerman.