The draft Decree regulates a system for digital and real time accountability for the transport of animal fertilisers.

Decree amending the Decree implementing the Fertilisers Act in connection with the establishment of rules on digital accountability for the transport of animal fertilisers

The proposed amendment to the Decree implementing the Fertilisers Act requires a system provided by the Minister to be used for the transport of animal fertilisers from now on. This system is called rVDM. The use of this system allows transport flows to be mapped digitally and in real time. Information must be provided to rVDM at each step during transport. Transport must be notified in advance (advance notification).

This is a better and more efficient way of monitoring compliance with the rules on the transport of animal fertilisers. The introduction of rVDM is intended to replace the current system, in which information on the transport is provided on paper and after transport has taken place. By introducing rVDM, improved compliance is achieved and the likelihood of fraud is reduced.
Increased compliance was named as an objective in the Sixth Action Programme, which was drawn up under the Nitrates Directive. One of the measures for increasing compliance with legislation and regulations is the use of automation, such as the proposed rVDM system. The introduction of such a system was included as one of the conditions of the derogation decision granted to the Netherlands on 17 July 2020 (OJ L 234, 2020) under the Nitrates Directive. This amendment to the Decree implementing the Fertilisers Act provides for this. The proposed Articles 50 and 51 contain technical regulations. Reference is made to the prior notification of the accountability requirement with regard to manure transport flows (see Notification 2005/220/NL).