Organization of the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management

Broadly speaking, the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management (VenW) consists of three sections: policy, implementation and inspection. In addition, the ministry has several support agencies to ensure that the top political and civil service layers as well as the employees are able to perform their work. 

In the policy section, three Directorates-General are concerned with developing policy in the areas of mobility, water management, aviation and maritime affairs. The Directorate-General of Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat, RWS) ensures that policy is implemented. The Inspectorate for Transport, Public Works and Water Management oversees compliance with statutory regulations by private individuals and companies. The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) gathers information on the weather, climate and seismology and performs research. The Directorate-General of Public Works and Water Management, the VenW Inspectorate and the KNMI are agencies of the ministry.

The Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management ensures that the physical basis, the foundations of the Netherlands, is solid and that we can move quickly and easily so that we can live and work in safety. In this way, VenW contributes to a dynamic and sustainable society. The motto of the ministry is: Moving smoothly. Living safely. Transport, Public Works and Water Management.