The Netherlands now has several decades of experience with a system of independent quality control of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) reports. The recent revision of the EC - EIA Directive pays more attention to the quality of EIA reports. This article reflects on how the Dutch system works, the role or the NCEA and in which ways the revised EIA Directive will affect the system of quality control in the Netherlands. Established by law Quality control in the Dutch EIA and SEA system is ensured by an independent commission of experts: the Netherlands Commission of Environmental Assessment (NCEA). The NCEA is an independent body established by the Dutch Environmental Management Act (EMA), which briefly stipulates its composition and working methods. The Act provides for a private institution that is not part of government to have a vital role in quality control of EIAs and SEAs in the Netherlands. The NCEA used to be subsidised by central government on the basis of the number of projects it reviewed each year, but since 2014 the Commission has been paid by the competent authority requesting the review, as the Dutch government has decided that the cost of review should be borne by the entity benefiting from the review. In 2018, the cost per review varies between €6750– €36,000, depending on the competent authority (municipality, provincial authority or central government), complexity of EIA/SEA procedure and the type and frequency of our advice. Under the current EMA it is mandatory for a competent authority to request all SEAs and EIAs for certain complex projects to be reviewed by the NCEA. In effect, this means the NCEA has the monopoly for independent quality review of these SEAs and EIAs. It may also be requested to review scoping documents and EIAs for other projects, but such requests are voluntary. In 2017 the NCEA reviewed about 140 projects, 50 of which had been requested voluntarily. The NCEA checks the completeness and correctness of the information in EIAs and SEAs. In 2017 for example, 70% of the assessments reviewed proved to lack essential information. In the case of a scoping document, it will specify which information is needed for the EIA or SEA concerned. The main criterion for ‘needed’ is that all information to enable stakeholders to take the interests of the environment fully into consideration in the decision making process should be available in the EIA or SEA. 11
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