Conformity Study for the Netherlands Directive 2006/21 ... - ClientEarth

1.1.1.1 

Conformity Study for the Netherlands 

Directive 2006/21/EC 

on the management of waste from extractive industries

This National Conformity Study has been prepared by Milieu Ltd. under Contract No 

070307/2008/517839/FRA/A2. The actual conformity checking was carried out in the 

Netherlands by N. van der Burgt. 

The views expressed herein are those of the consultants alone and do not necessarily represent 

the official views of the European Commission. 

Milieu Ltd. (Belgium), 15 rue Blanche, B-1050 Brussels, tel: 32 2 514 3601; Fax 32 2 514 

3603; e-mail: emma.psaila@milieu.be; web address: www.milieu.be

ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION TRANSPOSING DIRECTIVE 2006/21/EC 

ON THE MANAGEMENT OF WASTE FROM EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES 

Table of Contents 

Summary Datasheet................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. 

Abbreviations Used ................................................................................................................................. 6 

1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 8 

1.1 Overview of the Legal Framework in The Netherlands....................................................... 10 

1.2 Framework for Transposition & Implementation of Directive 2006/21/EC in The 

Netherlands ....................................................................................................................................... 10 

1.2.1 General distribution of competences/Competent authorities…………………………10 

1.2.2 Transposition context with regard to Directive 2006/21/EC…………………………11 

2 Legal Analysis of the Transposing Measures for Directive 2006/21/EC .... Error! Bookmark not 

defined. 

3 Conclusions ...................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. 

ANNEX I: 

ANNEX II: 

Table of concordance for Directive 2006/21/EC 

List of relevant National Legislation

Milieu Ltd 

Brussels 

Conformity Study Directive 2006/21/EC for the Netherlands, September 2009 /5

ABBREVIATIONS USED 

Awb 

Bbw 

B&W 

Bri 

Birz 

Brzo 

CA 

GS 

Ivb 

Wed 

Wm 

Algemene wet bestuursrecht (General Administrative Law Act) 

Besluit beheer winningsafvalstoffen (Decision on mining waste management) 

Burgemeester en Wethouders (Mayor and aldermen) 

Besluit rampbestrijdingsplannen inrichtingen (Decision on disaster control systems 

planning) 

Besluit inzake rampen en zware ongevallen (Decision on disasters and serious 

accidents) 

Besluit risico’s zware ongevallen (Decision on serious risk of accidents) 

Competent Authority 

Gedeputeerde Staten (Province) 

Inrichtingen- en vergunningenbesluit milieubeheer (Decision on Installations and 

Environment permits) 

Wet op de economische delicten (Law on economic offences) 

Wet milieubeheer (Environmental Management Act) 

Milieu Ltd 

Brussels 


1 INTRODUCTION 

This conformity study analyses in detail the provisions of Directive 2006/21/EC of the European 

Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2006 on the management of waste from extractive 

industries and amending Directive 2004/35/EC and compares it with the transposing legislation in the 

Netherlands. 

This Directive applies to waste resulting from the extraction, treatment and storage of mineral 

resources and the working of quarries. Waste covered by this Directive no longer falls within the 

scope of Directive 1999/31/EC on the landfill of waste. 

This particular waste must be managed in specialised facilities in accordance with specific rules. In 

accordance with Directive 2004/35/EC, operators of such facilities are subject to liability in respect of 

environmental damage caused by their operation. 

No extractive industry waste facility may operate without a permit issued by the competent authorities. 

To obtain a permit, the operator of the facility must comply with the provisions of the Directive. The 

public must be informed of applications for permits and be able to participate in the procedure for 

obtaining a permit. When a new waste facility is built or an existing one modified, the competent 

authority must satisfy itself that: 

• the facility is suitably located; 

• its physical stability is ensured and soil and water pollution are prevented; 

• it is monitored and inspected by competent persons; 

• arrangements are made for the closure of the facility, the rehabilitation of the land and the 

after-closure phase. 

Waste facilities may be placed in one of two categories according to their potential risks: Category A 

(a waste facility whose failure or incorrect operation could give rise to a major accident) or Category 

B (other installations). 

Operators of Category A facilities must draw up a policy for preventing major accidents; a safety 

management system; an internal emergency plan specifying the measures to be taken on-site in the 

event of an accident. For facilities in this category, the competent authority must draw up an external 

emergency plan specifying the measures to be taken off-site in the event of an accident. These two 

types of emergency plan (produced by the operator and the competent authority) are intended to 

reduce the impact of major accidents on health and the environment and ensure the restoration of the 

environment following such an accident. They must provide for participation by the public and for 

account to be taken of the public's comments. 

Waste facility operators must provide a financial guarantee before the beginning of waste processing 

operations so as to ensure that the Directive's provisions are complied with and that financial resources 

for restoring the site are always available. A waste facility is regarded as finally closed when the 

competent authority has carried out a final inspection, assessed the reports submitted by the operator, 

confirmed that the site has been restored and given its approval. After closure, the operator must 

maintain and monitor the site for as long as the competent authority considers necessary. The costs of 

these measures are borne by the operator. 

Member States must ensure that waste facility operators draw up a waste management plan, to be 

reviewed every five years. The objectives of the plan must be to prevent or reduce the generation of 

waste and its negative impact; to encourage waste recovery through recycling, re-use or reclaiming 

and to encourage the short and long-term safe disposal of waste. 

Milieu Ltd 

Brussels 


The plan must include at least the following: 

• a description of the waste and its classification, a description of the substances used to process 

the mineral resources, the method of disposal and the system used for waste transport; 

• a description of the operation generating this waste; 

• the control and monitoring procedures; 

• where applicable, the classification of the waste facility; 

• the closure plan and the after-closure procedures; 

• measures for the prevention of water and soil pollution; 

• a survey of the condition of the land to be affected by the waste facility. 

The competent authority must satisfy itself that waste facility operators have taken the measures 

necessary to prevent water and soil contamination, in particular by: 

• evaluating leachate generation (leachate means any liquid percolating through the deposited 

waste, including polluted drainage); 

• preventing leachate generation and preventing surface water or groundwater from being 

contaminated by the waste; 

• treating contaminated water and leachate in order to ensure their discharge. 

The Directive also introduces specific measures relating inter alia to cyanide concentrations in tailings 

ponds and the disposal of waste in waters other than those specifically intended for waste disposal. 

When placing extractive waste back into the excavation voids for rehabilitation and construction 

purposes, operators must take appropriate measures to secure the stability of the waste, monitor it and 

prevent soil and water pollution. 

The competent authority must inspect waste facilities at regular intervals, including after their closure. 

Operators are required to keep up-to-date records of all waste management operations and to make 

them available for inspection by the competent authority. 

Every three years, Member States must send the European Commission a report on the 

implementation of the Directive. The Commission must publish a report within nine months of 

receiving the information from the Member States. 

Member States must ensure that an inventory of closed waste facilities, including abandoned waste 

facilities, located on their territory which cause serious negative environmental impacts or have the 

potential of becoming in the medium or short term a serious threat to human health or the environment 

is drawn up and periodically updated. 

Milieu Ltd Conformity Study Directive 2006//21/EC for the Netherlands, September 2009 /9 

Brussels

1.1 OVERVIEW OF THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK IN THE NETHERLANDS 

The Netherlands has a codified body of law (continental law system). The formal sources of law can 

be divided into two groups: The primary sources of law are either bilateral or multilateral international 

treaties the Netherlands is a party to, or national legislation. Among the latter, the Dutch Constitution 

has a special role. National legislation can be adopted in the “classical” manner: the Parliament adopts 

the Government’s proposal. The Council of State (in its advisory role) also advises on the proposal 

before it is submitted to the Parliament. A special feature of such classical laws is that these cannot be 

tested against the Constitution. They can however be tested against international and European law. 

Legislation can also be delegated. In this case, the Government, apart from the advice submitted by the 

Council of State, acts alone and produces Orders of Council (sometimes also referred to as Decisions) 

of general administrative nature (Algemene Maatregelen van Bestuur or AMvB). It can also be subdelegated 

to Ministers, in which case we refer to Ministerial Regulations. Legislation can further be 

adopted by local authorities, in their respective competencies and jurisdiction. 

Secondly, additional sources of law are the general principles of law, customary law or jurisprudence. 

The law itself can refer sometimes to general principles or customs, and also judges are allowed to 

take these into account. Case law of the Supreme or the Appeal Courts, the highest judicial bodies, 

usually serves for interpretation purposes. For administrative law the highest court is the Council of 

State in its role as administrative law judiciary. 

The Netherlands carries out the transposition of EC legislation by means of either an Act of the 

Parliament or an Order of Council. In both cases, the Council of State advises on the proposal. Where 

the transposition does not carry any ambiguities and can be done in a ‘one-on-one’ way, it can also 

occur by Ministerial Regulation (Ministeriële Regeling). 

The Dutch legal system has no problems with recognizing the principle of direct effect and the Dutch 

courts frequently make use of the possibility to submit preliminary references to the European Court 

of Justice. At times, however, it remains unclear why no preliminary references are put to the ECJ. 

1.2 FRAMEWORK FOR TRANSPOSITION & IMPLEMENTATION OF DIRECTIVE 2006/21/EC 

IN THE NETHERLANDS 

1.2.1 General distribution of competences/Competent authorities 

The Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment is the main responsible ministry for 

the transposition of the Directive 2006/21 on the management of waste from extractive industries and 

amending Directive 2004/35. The Environmental Management Act (Wm) is the major environmental 

act in the Netherlands. It is called a framework law because it sets the overall framework of 

environmental law. Components can be further developed in Orders in Council or ministerial 

regulations. The division of competences between different authorities is established by law (the 

Environmental Management Act or the more specific Orders in Council). The main authorities that are 

appointed are the mayor and elder men (B&W); the province (Gedeputeerde Staten) and, in 

exceptional cases, the Minister. In the case of the management of mining waste, the competent 

authority is established by an Order in Council regulating installations and environmental permits 

(Ivb): the Decision of January 5, 1993 on the implementation of Chapters 1 and 8 of the 

Environmental Management Act and Chapter V of the Noise Abatement Act. 

Article 15 of the (main) legislation transposing the Directive (the Decision of May 19, 2008 aiming at 

the partial implementation of Directive No. 2006/21/EC of the European Parliament and the Council 


Brussels

of the European Union of March 15, 2006 on the management of waste from extractive industries and 

amending Directive No 2004/35/EC (Bbw)) makes reference to the Ivb. The IVB list the different 

‘categories’ for which it identifies the competent authority: for the management of mining waste 

Category 28.4 of the Ivb identifies the Province as the competent authority. 

1.2.2 Transposition context with regard to Directive 2006/21/EC 

To date, the Dutch legislation did not contain any specific provisions on the deposit of waste from 

extractive industries. Instead, the Decision on landfill soil protection and the Decision on landfills and 

dumping prohibited waste (transposing Directive 1999/31 on the landfill of waste) applied to almost 

all disposals of extractive wastes (the deposit of unpolluted soil or non-hazardous waste collection are 

excluded from the scope of the Landfill Directive). 

The Directive was transposed through an Order in Council based on the Wm. Implementation 

primarily takes place through an Order in Council pursuant to Article 8.45 of the Environmental 

Management Act. According to Article 8.45(1) of the Wm “rules may be laid down by order in 

council obliging the competent authority to attach restrictions or conditions, which are needed to 

protect the environment and whose content has been specified in the said order, to licences for 

establishments included in a category designated by the order in council. It may be laid down by the 

order in council that the rules contained therein shall apply only in categories of cases designated 

therein. Section 8.40, subsection 2 shall apply mutatis mutandis”. This system is in conformity with 

the obligation for a licence formulated in Article 7, first paragraph, of the Directive. 

The main Order in Council transposing Directive 2006/21 is the Order in Council of May 19, 2008 

aiming at the partial implementation of Directive No. 2006/21/EC of the European Parliament and the 

Council of the European Union of March 15, 2006 on the management of waste from extractive 

industries and amending Directive No 2004/35/EC (OJEU L 102) (Order in Council on extractive 

waste management). 1 

Some elements of the Directive are however transposed through the provisions of framework acts and 

decisions. This is because of the close relation with some elements of the Environmental Management 

Act – the framework law on environmental management. In particular, this concerns title 8.3 on “rules 

for closed landfills” and chapter 17 “on action in special circumstances” of the Wm. In addition to 

these changes in the Environmental Management Act (Wm), transposition of the Directive has 

moreover lead to adaptations of the decision on installations and environment permits (IVB), the 

decision on serious risk of accidents (Birzo) and the decision on disaster control systems planning 

(Bri). 

List of transposing legislation: 

• Act of June 13, 1979, establishing rules on a number of general issues on the environment 

(Environmental Management Act) [Wet van 13 juni 1979, houdende regelen met betrekking 

tot een aantal algemene onderwerpen op het gebied van de milieuhygiëne; Wet Milieubeheer ] 

(Wm) 

• Decision of May 19, 2008 aiming at the partial implementation of Directive No. 2006/21/EC 

of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union of March 15, 2006 on the 

management of waste from extractive industries and amending Directive No 2004/35/EC 

(OJEU L 102) (Decision on mining waste management) [Besluit van 19 mei 2008 strekkende 

tot gedeeltelijke implementatie van de richtlijn nr. 2006/21/EG van het Europees parlement en 

1 Besluit van 19 mei 2008 strekkende tot gedeeltelijke implementatie van de richtlijn nr. 2006/21/EG van het 

Europees parlement en de Raad van de Europese Unie van 15 maart 2006 betreffende het beheer van afval en de 

winninsindustieën en houdende wijziging van Richtlijn nr. 2004/35/EG (PbEU L 102); Besluit beheer 

winningsafvalstoffen. 


Brussels

de Raad van de Europese Unie van 15 maart 2006 betreffende het beheer van afval en de 

winninsindustieën en houdende wijziging van Richtlijn nr. 2004/35/EG (PbEU L 102); 

(Besluit beheer winningsafvalstoffen] (Bbw) 

• Decision of May 27, 1999 establishing the 1999 decree on risk of serious accidents and 

revising several other decisions related to the implementation of Directive 96/82/EC of the 

European Union of December 9, 1996 on the control of accident hazards involving dangerous 

substances (1999 Decision on serious risk of accidents) [Besluit van 27 mei 1999 tot 

vaststelling van het Besluit risico’s zware ongevallen 1999 en tot herziening van enkele 

andere besluiten in verband met de uitvoering van Richtlijn nr. 96/82/EG van de Raad van de 

Europese Unie van 9 december 1996 betreffende de beheersing van de gevaren van zware 

ongevallen waarbij gevaarlijke stoffen zijn betrokken; (Besluit risico’s zware ongevallen ] 

(Brzo) 

• Decision of January 5, 1993 on the implementation of Chapters 1 and 8 of the Environmental 

Management Act and Chapter V of the Noise Abatement Act (Decision on Installations and 

Environment permits) [Besluit van 5 januari 1993, houdende uitvoering van de hoofdstukken 

1 en 8 van de Wet milieubeheer en hoofdstuk V van de Wet geluidhinder; Inrichtingen- en 

vergunningenbesluit milieubeheer ] (Ivb) 

• Act of July 3, 1986, establishing rules for soil protection (Soil Protection Act) [Wet van 3 juli 

1986, houdende regelen inzake bescherming van de bodem; Wet Bodembescherming] (Wbb) 

• Act of November 13, 1969, establishing rules on the pollution of surface waters (Act on 

surface water contamination) [Wet van 13 november 1969, houdende regelen omtrent de 

verontreiniging van oppervlaktewateren; Wet verontreiniging oppervlaktewateren] (Wvo) 

• Act of June 5, 1975, containing rules to prevent pollution of the sea (Act on marine pollution) 

[Wet van 5 juni 1975, houdende voorschriften tot het voorkomen van de verontreiniging van 

de zee; Wet verontreiniging zeewater] (Wvz) 

• Decision of June 7, 1999, containing rules concerning disaster relief plans for classified 

establishments covered by the scope of Directive No. 96/82/EC of the European Union of 

December 9, 1996 on the control of the hazards of heavy accidents involving dangerous 

substances (Decision on disaster control systems planning) [Besluit van 7 juni 1999, houdende 

regels met betrekking tot rampbestrijdingsplannen voor bepaalde categorieën inrichtingen die 

vallen onder de reikwijdte van richtlijn nr. 96/82/EG van de Raad van de Europese Unie van 

9 december 1996 betreffende de beheersing van de gevaren van zware ongevallen waarbij 

gevaarlijke stoffen zijn betrokken; (Besluit rampbestrijdingsplannen inrichtingen ] (Bri) 

• Decision of June 20, 1994, establishing rules regarding disclosure of information on disasters 

(Decision on disasters and serious accidents) [ Besluit van 20 juni 1994, houdende nadere 

regels met betrekking tot de informatieverschaffing en de te verstrekken informatie inzake 

rampen; Besluit inzake rampen en zware ongevallen ] (Birz) 

• Act of January 30, 1985, containing rules for the disaster prevention and its preparation (Act 

disasters and serious accidents) [Wet van 30 januari 1985, houdende regels inzake de 

rampenbestrijding en de voorbereiding daarop; Wet rampen en zware ongevallen] (Wrzo) 

• Act of June 4, 1992, laying down general rules of administrative law (General Administrative 

Law Act) [Wet van 4 juni 1992, houdende algemene regels van bestuursrecht; Algemene wet 

bestuursrecht ] (Awb) 

• Decision of January 20, 1993, to protect the landfill of waste (Landfill act soil protection) 

[Besluit van 20 januari 1993, houdende regels inzake het storten van afvalstoffen; Stortbesluit 

bodembescherming ] (Sbb) 

• Decision of December 8, 1997, on a landfill ban for designated categories of waste for 

establishments (Decision on landfills and dumping prohibited waste) [Besluit van 8 december 

1997, houdende een stortverbod binnen inrichtingen voor aangewezen categorieën van 

afvalstoffen; Besluit stortplaatsen en stortverboden afvalstoffen ] (Bssa) 

• Act of November 20, 2003, establishing a law on the Central Statistical Office (Law on the 

Central Statistical Office) [Wet van 20 november 2003, houdende vaststelling van een wet op 

het Centraal bureau voor de statistiek; Wet op het Centraal bureau voor de statistiek ] Wcbs 


Brussels

• Act of June 22, 1950, laying down rules for the detection, prosecution and adjudication of 

economic offences (Law on economic offences) [Wet van 22 juni 1950, houdende vaststelling 

van regelen voor de opsporing, de vervolging en de berechting van economische delicten ; 

Wet op de economische delicten ] (Wed) 

• Decision of 19 October 2007 on the general rules for establishments; [Besluit van 19 oktober 

2007, houdende algemene regels voor inrichtingen (Besluit algemene regels voor inrichtingen 

milieubeheer)] (Bim) 

The Netherlands transposed the Directive with a slight delay. According to Article 25(1) of the 

Directive, Member States were to bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions 

necessary to comply with this Directive before 1 May 2008. The Order in council, transposing the 

main part of Directive 2006/21 entered into force at 19 May 2008. 


Brussels

ANNEX II 

Legislation transposing Directive 2006/21/EC in The Netherlands 

1. Act of June 13, 1979, establishing rules on a number of general issues on the environment 

(Environmental Management Act) [Wet van 13 juni 1979, houdende regelen met betrekking 

tot een aantal algemene onderwerpen op het gebied van de milieuhygiëne; Wet Milieubeheer ] 

(Wm) 

2. Decision of May 19, 2008 aiming at the partial implementation of Directive No. 2006/21/EC 

of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union of March 15, 2006 on the 

management of waste from extractive industries and amending Directive No 2004/35/EC 

(OJEU L 102) (Decision on mining waste management) [Besluit van 19 mei 2008 strekkende 

tot gedeeltelijke implementatie van de richtlijn nr. 2006/21/EG van het Europees parlement en 

de Raad van de Europese Unie van 15 maart 2006 betreffende het beheer van afval en de 

winninsindustieën en houdende wijziging van Richtlijn nr. 2004/35/EG (PbEU L 102); 

(Besluit beheer winningsafvalstoffen] (Bbw) 

3. Decision of June 20, 1994, establishing rules regarding disclosure of information on disasters 

(Decision on disasters and serious accidents) [ Besluit van 20 juni 1994, houdende nadere 

regels met betrekking tot de informatieverschaffing en de te verstrekken informatie inzake 

rampen; Besluit inzake rampen en zware ongevallen ] (Birz) 


Brussels

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