News item | 01-02-2022 | 16:56
Minister De Jonge for Housing and Spatial Planning wants the Environment and Planning Act to be introduced in a responsible manner and will therefore not stick to the entry into force date of 1 July 2022. He wrote this today in a letter to the Senate and House of Representatives.
It is important that the services to people and companies are not jeopardized and that area development is not impeded. That is why it will be examined in the coming weeks whether the implementation date will be 1 October 2022 or 1 January 2023 for the Environment Act to enter into force.
‘Over the past few weeks, there have been various consultations with fellow authorities and experts about the implementation of the Environment Act. This showed that more time is needed to properly practice with the new systems. I want to take that time for a responsible and careful implementation,’ says De Jonge.
Almost all municipalities, provinces and water boards are now connected to the new system, and a lot of practice is already taking place. Licensing is already working well. However, we see that in the so-called planning chain, where municipalities, provinces and water boards can use planning software to publish new environmental plans, environmental and water board regulations, there are various uncertainties. Minister De Jonge will therefore not stick to 1 July 2022.
In the coming weeks, it will be determined whether the implementation date will be October 1, 2022 or January 1, 2023. Once this is clear, the draft Royal Decree (RD) will be presented to the Senate and House of Representatives. This can be discussed in both Houses, so that there is clarity in good time about the implementation date for the implementation practice.
The Environment and Planning Act is a major amendment and combines and modernizes the laws for the living environment. This includes legislation and regulations on construction, the environment, water, spatial planning and nature. That means from 26 different laws to 1 law, from 60 General Administrative Orders to 4 and from 75 ministerial regulations to 1 Environmental Regulation.