Nature Policy Evaluation, Statutory Research tasks that Wageningen Research (WR) performs for the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) on behalf of the Ministry.

The Statutory Research Tasks Unit for Nature & the Environment (WOT Nature & Environment) ensures that the statutory research tasks supporting of nature and environmental policy are carried out professionally and reliably. These tasks are carried out for funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature. The research topics integrate several areas of expertise.

The Nature Policy Evaluation expertise area covers the statutory tasks that Wageningen Research (WR) performs for the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) on behalf of the Ministry. Under the Environment and Planning Act (Omgevingswet), PBL is responsible for periodic reporting on the state of nature and on progress made with nature policy. Every two years, PBL publishes a state of the environment report (Balans van de Leefomgeving) as well as other periodic reflexive policy evaluations. The purpose of these reports is to provide the national and provincial governments with reliable information on policy implementation and on the status and trends in forests, nature and the landscape in relation to agriculture, climate, the circular economy and urban development.

PBL does not have sufficient in-house expertise to fulfil its statutory tasks relating to forestry, nature and landscape within the broader policy and societal context. This expertise is available at WR, which is why, for reasons of efficiency, the Ministry has arranged for WR, via WOT Nature & Environment, to maintain and further develop this expertise on behalf of PBL. Research carried out via WOT Nature & Environment contribute directly to the PBL reports.

The Nature Policy Evaluation expertise area contributes to the following categories of activities:

1. Reporting for the Balans van de Leefomgeving (state of the environment report).
2. Perform comprehensive policy evaluations of the status and trends in forests, nature and landscape within the broader policy and societal context.
3. Supporting PBL with preparing a multi-year WOT research agenda, based on future needs for expertise and information for the periodic evaluations. Co-authoring a multi-year research programme and carrying out the research.
4. Addressing knowledge gaps by conducting research set out in the multi-year research agenda. This primarily concerns subjects such as  biodiversity loss and nature restoration in relation to combating climate change, nitrogen deposition and other environmental and spatial pressures, and the agricultural transformations, which have featured prominently on the Dutch political agenda in recent years. Within the WOT expertise area, we investigate the underlying causes, monitor developments, evaluate policy and assess potential options for achieving government objectives in these domains.

The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency publishes periodic evaluations of nature policy, which play an influential role in shaping new environmental policy.. Wageningen University & Research provides the necessary expertise on forests, nature and agriculture to support these evaluations.