North Sea Activity (NSA) application

Application form

Additional information, such as a map of the route or the location of the work, can be included on the NSA form. This makes it possible to make clear exactly what kind of activity will be taking place. The nautical management section (Bureau Nautisch Beheer) of the Netherlands Coastguard will decide on the application. This section can also add additional conditions regarding the safe and smooth passage of shipping traffic.

Planned activities on the North Sea that must be reported

• Special transport or work.
• Activities that may affect the environment or the safety of shipping traffic.
• If reporting is required for the issue of a permit by the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management under the Water Act, Water Decree or Water Regulations, for instance in the case of laying, maintaining, repairing or removing cables and/or pipelines.
• If reporting is required for the issue of a permit by the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy under the Mining Act, Mining Decree or Mining Regulations, or the Offshore Wind Energy Act, for instance in the case of placing, maintaining or removing mining platforms and appurtenant pipelines.
• If reporting is required for the issue of a permit by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, for instance in the case of national or international research trips undertaken for the environment.
• Approach areas
• Planned activities in the Dutch part of the North Sea must be reported to the Netherlands Coastguard, with the exception of activities in approach areas. Approach areas are nodes around ports and open estuaries where shipping routes converge.

Approach areas

A planned activity in an approach area must be reported to the manager of the approach area. Within an approach area, the (government) harbour master decides on the application. The Dutch part of the North Sea has the following approach areas:

• Ems estuary
• Brandaris
• Den Helder
• IJmuiden
• Scheveningen
• Rotterdam
• Scheldt estuary

Conditions that may apply to an NSA

• Arranging for the presence of a guard vessel to enable work to be performed safely and, if necessary, to warn ships in the vicinity.
• Marking the working area with buoyage.
• Stopping activities in the case of poor visibility.
• Arranging for the services of a North Sea pilot, possibly in combination with one or more guard vessels, to guide shipping traffic.

NS application submission deadline

The nautical management section need to receive an NSA application at least five working days prior to the scheduled start of the activity. An application may of course be submitted earlier. There is no charge for submitting an NSA application. Any approval granted is also free of charge.

Questions

If you have any questions, please contact the Netherlands Coastguard Centre on telephone number +31 (0)88 – 958 4000 or by email to ccc@kustwacht.nl.