Companies in the Netherlands must comply with noise regulations (in Dutch) to prevent noise pollution. These regulations are based on, among others:
- the Noise Pollution Act (Wet geluidhinder, Wgh, in Dutch)
- the Activities (Environmental Management) Decree (Activiteitenbesluit milieubeheer)
- the Environmental Permitting (General Provisions) Act (Wet algemene bepalingen omgevingsrecht, Wabo)
and local regulations:
- the General Municipal By-Law (Algemene Plaatselijke Verorderning, APV)
- the Provincial Environmental Act (Provinciale Omgevingsverordening, POV).
Which regulations you must comply with depends on the nature of your company’s activities and the location of your business.
General environmental regulations on noise
General environmental regulations on noise are laid down in the Activities decree environmental management (Activiteitenbesluit milieubeheer). These general regulations state a limit on noise (in Dutch):
- during specific periods (day, evening, night)
- for specific building types and their function
If the noise your business produces is within these limits, you do not have to take further action.
If you do not satisfy the general regulations, you have to apply for an All-in-one Permit for Physical Aspects (omgevingsvergunning) containing noise regulations. You apply for this all-in-one permit to your municipal authority, or you apply via the Service counter All-in-one permit for physical aspects (Omgevingsloket Online, OLO, in Dutch).
Acoustic report
|Do you start a company or change your business activities? The competent authority, in general this is the municipality or province, may ask you for an acoustic report (in Dutch). If the nature of your business activities means you do not satisfy the general regulations on noise, the acoustic report is a mandatory part of your application for an All-in-one Permit for Physical Aspects.
Noise Pollution Act
The Noise Pollution Act (Wet Geluidshinder, Wgh) establishes permissible noise levels for companies on a zoned industrial estate.