Making an Environmental Impact Assessment
If you apply for an environment and planning permit for your plan or project, you may need to make or arrange an Environmental Impact Assessment (milieueffectrapport, MER) or an Environmental Impact Evaluation (mer-beoordeling). These may be required if you want to carry out an activity that impacts the environment and which requires a permit. For example, building a new wind farm or an urban development project.
You must describe the environmental impact of your plan or project in the Environmental Impact Assessment (MER). Based on this report, the municipality or province will decide on your plan or project. This procedure is called the project environmental impact assessment report (project-milieueffectrapportage, mer).
Do the mer check
Do you need an environment and planning permit for your project? Then also do a mer check (in Dutch). The mer check for an environment and planning permit indicates whether you are obliged to make an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (milieueffectrapportage – you have a mer-plicht) or an Environmental Impact Evaluation (mer-beoordeling – you have a mer-beoordelingsplicht)
Please note: you cannot derive any rights from the check. For more information, contact the authority (municipality, province, water authority, or central government) that grants the permit for your activity.
When to make an Environmental Impact Assessment
Does the mer check show that you need to make an Environmental Impact Assessment (milieueffectrapport, MER)? Or is your project or situation listed in Annex V of the Environment Decree (in Dutch)? Then you have an obligation to make an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (mer-plicht) or Environmental Impact Evaluation (mer-beoordeling). For some projects, the municipality or province must issue a decision on the Environmental Impact Evaluation. Or you must prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment yourself, or have it prepared by another party.
Find out more about mer and MER
You can find out more about Environment Impact Assessment Reports in the Netherlands on the website of Informatiepunt Leefomgeving (IPLO, in Dutch). For example, about what must be included in the report, and the requirements for plans and programmes, or projects. Or read more about the quality requirements of the MER (in Dutch).