Samenvatting

The obligation to notify is a legal instrument, which aims to reduce unnecessary regulatory pressure for civilians and companies. Developed as an alternative to regulation by permit, it merely obliges anyone to notify the administrative authority when planning a specific activity that brings little hazard to the public interest. The notice informs the administrative authority about the planned activity, so it can supervise whether it is conducted in accordance with the general rules and can enforce these rules if necessary. Hence, supervision is assured, without people having to deal with a time consuming and labour intensive permit procedure.
However, the use of obligation to notify raises questions about the protection of public interests, legal certainty and the possibility to file an appeal against an administrative decision of a governmental body. This empirical legal study aims to answer these questions.