Ballast water risk assessment for Dutch ports

Objective of the study was to investigate the best approaches to risk assessment for the Dutch ports, with their advantages and disadvantages. The organizational aspects, need for surveys and monitoring and the interaction between global, regional and national risk assessment are also taken into account. Possible approaches to ballast water management are discussed. This includes the types of exemptions and aspects of risk assessment. The international context, strengths and weaknesses and the organisational aspects for both the granting of exemptions and the risk assessment are discussed as well. The need for surveys and monitoring have been handled and also the currently available information and the recommendations for future work. At last a look into the global, regional and national interaction for the granting of exemptions and risk assessment procedures has been taken.