Notional Field Development Final Report - EBN

EBN Notional Field Development Plan
4.2.2 National Coordination Regulation
In 2010, the NCR for state, provinces, and municipalities came into force under the (new) Spatial
Planning Act (SPA) (ref. par. 3.5.2., in particular 3.6.3, SPA). Further detail is available in paragraph 9a of
the Mining Act (MA).
The regulation aims to make the decision making process for (changes to) spatial plans and associated
permitting procedures, faster and more efficient. The targeted efficiency improvement also proposes a
preference for one governmental organization to become the responsible authority in the decision
making process.
Exploration and production (E&P) infrastructure projects have become subject to the regulation, as they
concern large energy projects of national interest, that need to be incorporated into spatial plans.
Article 141a of the MA declares this procedure applicable to mining activities (i.e. mining works): a) used
in the exploration or production phase within or under certain nature conservation areas, b) for the
storage of substances, and c) for pipelines (primarily or largely) related to the transport of natural
resources resulting from the exploration or production thereof.
This NCR is meant to shorten and streamline the time span of the large diversity of permit procedures
involved in large-scale energy and infrastructure projects. The urban planning decision will take place on
a central level, as does the coordination of the permits. By coordinating the preparation and handling of
the permit procedures simultaneously, a better cooperation between authorities is realized and all
relevant information can be considered in the decision making process. This coordination is linked to the
Ministry Zoning Plan (MZP).
Summarising, the NCR contains:
• Notification of the project should be made to the Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture,
and Innovation;
• The Ministers of Economic Affairs, Agriculture, and Innovation and Infrastructure and
Environment should determine a National Integration Plan (NIP) which is procedure for
zoning at national level for spatial anchoring of the initiative
• The procedures and required approvals for this integration plan are specific and require the
Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation to render a decision on the
application within +/- 6 months.;
• Once an appeal at the Division of the Council of State (Department) has been filed, the
Department is required to rule within six months after the appeal period (Article 1.6 Crisis
and Recovery Law).
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