Systeemverantwoordelijkheid in het natuurbeleid: input voor agendavorming van de Balans van de Leefomgeving 2014

The Natinonal Government carries system responsibility for nature. Some ambiguity in the understanding ofthe concept of system responsibility seems to exist, however. The ways in which system responsibility isimplemented vary in practice also. The Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment gives expression to itssystem responsibility within spatial planning in a largely facilitating manner, but its role also shows someregulating elements. With regard to water policy there is, on the contrary, a largely regulating interpretationwith some facilitating elements. The Ministry of the Interior has a facilitating role concerning the issue ofdemographic decline. The Ministry of Economic Affairs is still searching for a way to handle its systemresponsibility in nature policy and is showing at the time of this research (beginning 2013) an inclinationtowards a largely facilitating role. The Assessment of the Dutch Human Environment may be helpful with thissearch by clarifying the concept, indicating further options for implementation and making clear what theconsequences will be of the different possible roles.