Gouda (Netherlands) municipal bylaw: nature-inclusive participation

Summary

On November 5 2025, the Gouda Municipal Council accepted an amendment to its participation bylaw that declares animals and nature will have a standard voice in citizen participation. This decision makes Gouda the first municipality in the Netherlands to enshrine the interests of nature in a bylaw.

A municipal bylaw is a legally binding local law that governs things like public order, safety, nuisance, local permits and environment. Once the municipal council has adopted a bylaw, the municipal executive can establish further policy rules.

The proposal notes that Gouda’s Participation Regulation does not exclude nature-inclusive participation, but it also does not provide a definition or framework for it, and this concerns a new development. It also notes that Gouda has a green, biodiversity and animal welfare policy.

The Participation Regulation 2026 is amended as follows:
Environmental stakeholder: a non-human entity with ecological importance, including ecosystems, landscapes, biotopes, habitats, species or populations;
Nature representative: an independent person or body authorised to represent the interests of nature stakeholders on their behalf in participation or consultation procedures, if the subject has possible ecological effects;

These definitions obligate the municipality to consider whether there are environmental interests at stake whenever the municipality initiates a participatory process, for example, in construction projects or neighborhood redesigns. In that case, someone will be involved who can speak on behalf of nature. This obligation allows ecological values ​​to be considered early on, rather than only after a development.

Involved Organizations