1. National Institute for Public Health and the Environment Bilthoven, The Netherlands National Vaccin Institute

2. Core facts Established in 1909 Employs 1500 men and women Has a budget of € 180 million Consists of 30 labs/centres, 4 divisions Carries out independent research (laid down in the RIVM Act) Boasts 300 projects annually

3. The RIVM is the National Institute for Public Health and Environment Political responsibility and strategic decisions Research on environment and health protection & policy support

4. Mission of RIVM Development & integration of actual scientific knowledge Makes this knowledge accessible for policymakers Facilitates policymakers and inspectorates Scope: -Public Health -Infectious Disease -Environment and Safety -Nutrition and Food safety -Nature

5. RIVM organization chart Public Health and Health Services Division Nutrition, Medicines and Consumer Safety Division Environment and Safety Division

6. Research for Policy Support Environment and Health -Measurement of air water and soil pollution -Human and ecological exposure assessment -Toxicological, human clinical and epidemiological research -Health risk assessment -Ecological risk assessment -Risk management options Impact of contaminating substances Disaster control

7. Source Emission Dispersion Exposure Dose & effect Risk The source-risk chain

8. Our tasks within the safety chain Prevention Preparation ResponseAftercare Pro-action

9. All environmental risks

10. Laboratory for Ecological Risk Assessment (LER)

11. Personel LER december 2008: 43 permanent staff = 38 fte 6temporary staff trainees Of whom : 40 academics

12. Most important policy dossiers Surface water and groundwater (EU Water Framework Directive) Soil (Policy Letter Soil, European Soil Strategy) Plant Protection Products Biodiversity Soil sanitation Chemical compounds

13. Most important activities Development ecological risk assessment methodology Partners SEC / Alterra / RIZA / universities / international Development proposals environmental quality criteria Partners SEC / SIR / LVM / IMD / Alterra / univ. / international Inventarisation soil sanitation operation Partners SenterNovem / local governments Development decision support systems Partners Alterra / RIZA / international

14. LER tasks Assessment and advice on effects of different types of environmental stress, in their mutual coherence, on structure and functioning of ecosystems. Weigh up of human and ecological risks of contamination, followed by proposals of environmental quality criteria experimental and model research development of decision support systems. expertise areas: exposure assessment and environmental chemistry ecotoxicological effects ecological effects (foodwebs / multistress) risk assessment