News item | 04-07-2025 | 15:15
On the proposal of State Secretary Aartsen (Public Transport and the Environment), the Council of Ministers has Betem with a new bill that must ensure predictable and clearer requirements for tenders in land, road and hydraulic engineering (GWW) projects.
The bill makes the environmental rules for tenders in GWW projects clearer and more uniform and prevents each public client from using its own rules. This makes the tendering process faster and more predictable, prevents bureaucracy and helps the government to fulfill the agreements from the Climate Agreement.
Staatssecretaris Aartsen: “Meer dan 500 bedrijven en stakeholders uit de grond-, weg- en waterbouwsector hebben ons duidelijk gemaakt dat ze snakken naar uniformiteit en helderheid in milieunormen. Dit wetsvoorstel biedt die duidelijkheid én betekent een versimpeling van regelgeving: iedereen weet straks precies waar hij aan toe is, zonder te hoeven worstelen met tientallen verschillende lokale regels. Dat is goed voor het bedrijfsleven én helpt ons gezamenlijk stappen te zetten richting een more sustainable infrastructure. ”
Concrete and asphalt
According to the bill, public clients must set requirements for the environmental performance of the most important materials used, such as concrete and asphalt. This means that these materials must meet certain sustainability requirements in order to be used. In addition, large GWW projects are looking at the environmental performance of the entire project. This is included as a award criterion, which can be used to determine which party will receive the assignment. This also stimulates the use of other more sustainable materials: the more sustainable the material in the project, the greater the chance of the assignment. This ensures a clear, uniform approach that yields both environmental benefits and a predictable play area for companies. Research by CE Delft shows that these mandatory environmental performance requirements can lead to a reduction in approximately 0.8 megaton CO₂ emissions in 2030. In addition, the proposal ensures that the business community spends less time on navigating through a maze of different rules.
Broad support in the sector
During the development of the bill, intensive consultations were held with companies, branch organizations, co -authorities and other parties involved. The majority supports this uniform standardization, because it leads to more clarity and benefits for both the business community and public clients. The internet consultation that gives the parties six weeks will start no later than Friday 11 July to make any input.
Support for implementation via Support Point
To help public clients with the new requirements, a support point will be established at the beginning of 2026. This point offers practical information, guidelines and organizes regional meetings for knowledge exchange. Ultimately, the support point becomes the central place where you can go with questions about the legal obligations.