Noise regulations

In order to prevent noise pollution, companies must comply with noise regulations as laid down in legislation, including the Area Exploitation Permits (General Provisions) Act (Wet algemene bepalingen omgevingsrecht, Wabo) and the Noise Abatement Act (Wet geluidhinder, Wgh). The regulations with which you must comply will depend on such factors as your company’s commercial activities and business location.

General environmental regulations on noise

Under the Wabo, general environmental regulations on noise are laid down in the General Rules for Establishments (Environmental Management) Decree (Besluit algemene regels voor inrichtingen milieubeheer), which is also known as the Activities Decree (Activiteitenbesluit). These apply to a large number of companies. If you satisfy the general regulations, you will not need an all-in-one permit for physical aspects (omgevingsvergunning). Noise regulations are included in the all in one permit for physical aspects for companies that do not satisfy the general regulations.

Noise Abatement Act

The Noise Abatement Act establishes permissible noise levels for companies on a (zoned) industrial estate.

General Municipal Bye-law

Noise abatement provisions are also included in General Municipal Bye-law (Algemeen Plaatselijke Verordening, APV) and Provincial Environmental Bye-law (Provinciale Milieuverordening, PMV).