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Amendment to the Environmental Management Act in connection with the introduction of the requirement to establish environmental performance requirements in tenders for civil engineering contracts

Notification Number:

2025/0738/NL (Netherlands)

Date received:

11/12/2025

End of Standstill:

12/03/2026

Draft Text:

NL EN

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Communication from the Commission - TRIS/(2025) 3558

Directive (EU) 2015/1535

Notification: 2025/0738/NL

Notification of a draft text from a Member State

Notification – Notification – Notifzierung – Нотификация – Oznámení – Notifikation – Γνωστοποίηση – Notificación – Teavitamine – Ilmoitus – Obavijest – Bejelentés – Notifica – Pranešimas – Paziņojums – Notifika – Kennisgeving – Zawiadomienie – Notificação – Notificare – Oznámenie – Obvestilo – Anmälan – Fógra a thabhairt

Does not open the delays - N'ouvre pas de délai - Kein Fristbeginn - Не се предвижда период на прекъсване - Nezahajuje prodlení - Fristerne indledes ikke - Καμμία έναρξη προθεσμίας - No abre el plazo - Viivituste perioodi ei avata - Määräaika ei ala tästä - Ne otvara razdoblje kašnjenja - Nem nyitja meg a késéseket - Non fa decorrere la mora - Atidėjimai nepradedami - Atlikšanas laikposms nesākas - Ma jiftaħx il-perijodi ta’ dewmien - Geen termijnbegin - Nie otwiera opóźnień - Não inicia o prazo - Nu deschide perioadele de stagnare - Nezačína oneskorenia - Ne uvaja zamud - Inleder ingen frist - Ní osclaíonn sé na moilleanna

MSG: 20253558.EN

1. MSG 001 IND 2025 0738 NL EN 11-12-2025 NL NOTIF

2. Netherlands

3A. Ministerie van Financiën
Douane Groningen, CDIU
(cdiu.notificaties@douane.nl)

3B. Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat
Directoraat-generaal Milieu en Internationaal
Directie Duurzame Leefomgeving en Circulaire Economie
Afdeling Circulaire Economie Bouw, Textiel en Plastic

4. 2025/0738/NL - B10 - Construction materials

5. Amendment to the Environmental Management Act in connection with the introduction of the requirement to establish environmental performance requirements in tenders for civil engineering contracts

6. In lower-level regulations, it ensures that contracting authorities may be required to establish minimum (threshold values) environmental performance requirements in the technical specifications for certain materials when used in civil engineering contracts.

7.

8. The legislative proposal is a delegation basis in the Environmental Management Act and ensures that, in lower-level regulations, contracting authorities and special sector companies may be required to include in the technical
specifications that minimum (threshold values) environmental performance requirements are established for certain materials
or products to the extent that they are used in civil engineering projects. Articles 9.6.2 and 9.6.3 may contain technical requirements that are further elaborated in lower-level regulations. This pertains to the following regulations:

Article 9.6.2 stipulates that, in lower-level regulations, minimum environmental performance requirements may be indicated for the most impactful materials and products that contracting authorities and
special sector companies must take into account when preparing and developing the
tendering of civil engineering contracts. The choice of materials and products that will be
established in the lower-level regulations are the result of the high environmental impact they have within
civil engineering contracts. The intention is to designate the materials of asphalt and concrete because they are the most environmentally harmful materials used in civil engineering work. Article 9.6.3 stipulates that contracting authorities are obliged to
include the requirements in tenders for civil engineering contracts and indicate any exceptions
to these. These are technical requirements in the form of minimum environmental performance requirements for the products designated in the lower-level legislation by means of a prescribed calculation method laid down therein. The basis of this calculation method is an LCA calculation in accordance with the European standard EN15804.

A mutual recognition clause is included in the lower-level legislation, specifying the materials to which the technical requirements will apply.

9. The technical requirements detailed in the lower-level legislation are non-discriminatory, necessary and proportionate for the following reasons:

Non-discriminatory
These regulations have been carefully drafted with a view to ensuring the free movement of
goods within the European Union. The prescribed environmental performance requirements are open
and apply equally to all market participants, regardless of the member state in which they are located. The
the method of determination that will be laid down in the lower legislation is, in principle, an
LCA calculation in accordance with European standard EN15804. These standards are also enforced
by contracting authorities and the Public Procurement Act ensures that
the principle of equal treatment is applied in tenders (inter alia: Article 1.8 of the
Public Procurement Act).

Necessity
The technical requirements laid down in lower-level legislation must be considered necessary
for the protection of the environment and human health. When designing
the legislative proposal, careful consideration was given to the most effective and appropriate instrument to reduce the environmental impact of civil engineering work. Pages 17 to 22 of the legislative proposal explain why voluntary instruments were not chosen, but regulations. Why generic product requirements are not introduced is also explained, as well as why the procurement instrument is suitable for achieving the desired objectives.

Proportionality
The minimum environmental performance requirements laid down in the lower-level legislation are suitable for achieving the intended purpose and do not go beyond what is necessary and has been proven to be the least restrictive means. Research has shown that (voluntary) alternatives would have an insufficient effect or be too restrictive for the market. This is explained in more detail in Chapters 2 and 3 of the explanatory notes. The environmental performance requirements are limited to the most environmentally polluting materials used in civil engineering work (concrete and asphalt) and the minimum environmental performance requirements are set in such a way that the requirements challenge the market to become more sustainable, while at the same time being achievable for all market participants. However, if inclusion of the minimum environmental performance requirements in a specific tender is disproportionate, the contracting authority may derogate from this obligation on the basis of Article 9.6.3, subsection 3 of the legislative proposal. The legislative proposal therefore provides for an explicit guarantee of the principle of proportionality.

10. Numbers or titles of the basic texts:

11. No

12.

13. No

14. No

15. No

16.
TBT aspects: No

SPS aspects: No

**********
European Commission
Contact point Directive (EU) 2015/1535
email: grow-dir2015-1535-central@ec.europa.eu

Disclosed messages

message-id	Year	Number	Country	Type	Title	Date received	Is answer to
114104	2025	3559	COMEuropean Commission	003	Receipt of the draft text	11-12-2025
114105	2025	3560	COMEuropean Commission	037	Competitiveness analysis	11-12-2025

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