Organization of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment

Broadly speaking, the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment (I&M) consists of three sections: policy, implementation and inspection. In addition, the ministry has several support agencies to ensure that the top political and civil service layers as well as the employees are able to perform their work. 

In the policy section, five Directorates-General are concerned with developing policy in the areas of mobility, water management, aviation and maritime affairs, spatial planning and the environment. The Directorate-General of Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat, RWS) ensures that policy is implemented. The Inspectorate for Transport, Public Works and Water Management and the VROM Inspectorate oversee compliance with statutory regulations by private individuals and companies. The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) gathers information on the weather, climate and seismology and performs research. The Directorate-General of Public Works and Water Management, the VenW Inspectorate, VROM Inspectorate, the Netherlands Emissions Authority, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency and the KNMI are agencies of the ministry.