International
The Netherlands is an important transit country with main ports such as Rotterdam and Schiphol. This lends the inspectorate's working area a strong international character.
Virtually all Dutch transport companies operate internationally and many foreign transporters come to the Netherlands. This requires greater international collaboration by supervisory bodies. For a long time there has been collaboration on this basis in the maritime and aviation sector and today it is also witnessed in the road transport, railways and inland navigation sectors.
The transport sector is to a large extent controlled internationally, for example through ordinances and directives issued by the European Commission and by European agencies in aviation, shipping and the railways. International organisations such as the IMO (International Maritime Organization) and the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) also frequently play a definitive role.
In terms of environmental matters, the policy and legislation and regulations derived from this are increasingly being determined in an EU framework or regulated globally due to rising globalisation in part from ever larger, worldwide trade flows in waste and hazardous products with internationally operating companies from upcoming economies. This requires new, smart supervision interventions and international collaboration on enforcement. The same applies to the approach taken by large, often multinational industrial organisations with considerable environmental and safety risks.