The Environment Decree of the Netherlands (Omgevingsbesluit) contains rules on who is the competent authority for environmental permits, which procedure applies, enforcement and implementation, and how environmental impact assessment takes place. It also contains the Digital System for the Environment Act (DSO). Overall this Decree applies to all parties active in the physical environment - citizens, businesses, and government. The Decree also applies in the exclusive economic zone (the Dutch part of the North Sea).
It contains rules on the content and monitoring of Environmental Impact Assessment (Chapter 11) for plans, projects, and programmes, including a description of “the impact of the project on the climate and the vulnerability of the project to climate change” (11.18 f). The Decree also includes rules regarding transboundary environmental effects (11.3), and details around the advisory bodies and advisors for environmental assessment. Furthermore, Chapter 9 contains rules concerning damage.
