Please note: The algorithm descriptions in English have been automatically translated. Errors may have been introduced in this process. For the original descriptions, go to the Dutch version of the Algorithm Register.
Environmental Assistant
- Publication category
- Other algorithms
- Impact assessment
- Field not filled in.
- Status
- In use
General information
Theme
- Organisation and business operations
- Law
- Space and Infrastructure
Begin date
Contact information
Link to publication website
Responsible use
Goal and impact
The OmgevingsAssistent helps municipalities speed up and improve the process surrounding views and objections. By automatically summarising, analysing and linking relevant information, the processing of opinions becomes more efficient and consistent. This leads to shorter permit processing times, better substantiation of decisions and more time for human assessment and communication with residents.
Considerations
Assessing views requires legal precision. The OmgevingsAssistent supports this process, but does not replace human expertise. The municipality retains full control over the content: employees always check, correct and approve the final result before it is sent.
The AI is set up to work exclusively with public documents. Personal data in opinions are anonymised before being processed in the AI. The data being processed is public data.
Human intervention
Municipality employees always check the OmgevingsAssistent results, adjust them where necessary and decide whether and how to use the result. The tool supports, but does not decide independently.
Risk management
The risk of errors is limited because the AI works with controlled sources and human approval is always required. Employees can check the sources used by AI, give the AI feedback on results and adjust results.
An internal review for privacy, legal correctness and technical security was conducted beforehand.
Legal basis
Environment Act: defines the procedure for views and participation.
European AI Regulation: sets requirements for the responsible use of algorithms based on AI technology.
General Data Protection Regulation (AVG). Not applicable. The Environment Assistant does not process personal data from views, only the textual content.
Digital Accessibility Decree: the OmgevingsAssistent uses understandable and accessible language in the outcomes.
Links to legal bases
- General Data Protection Regulation (AVG): https://eur-lex.europa.eu/NL/legal-content/summary/general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr.html
- AI Act / European AI Regulation: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/NL/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32024R1689#:~:text=Verordening%20%28EU%29%202024%2F1689%20van%20het%20Europees%20Parlement%20en,%28verordening%20artifici%C3%ABle%20intelligentie%29%20%28Voor%20de%20EER%20relevante%20tekst%29
- Environment Act: https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0037885/2025-07-01/0
Elaboration on impact assessments
No data protection impact assessment (DPIA) is mandatory, as the Environment Assistant does not process personal data. However, an internal risk analysis was carried out focusing on the quality and legal correctness of the AI output.
Operations
Data
The OmgevingsAssistent uses only public textual information from submitted views (documents that are already a public part of the procedure), municipal policy documents such as environmental plans and case law from public sources (such as Council of State).
Technical design
The EnvironmentAssistant works based on artificial intelligence (AI) and language models via Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service.
The tool works as follows:
1. A view is uploaded as a document. The AI analyses the text and extracts key points and objections.
2. The AI automatically searches relevant passages in municipal policy documents, case law and legal texts.
3. The tool generates a draft response with source references, as much as possible in a standard format.
4. An employee checks, edits and approves the text.
The data remains within European servers (Azure EU). No personal data or IP addresses are stored.
External provider
Similar algorithm descriptions
- The tool supports employees in handling views on environmental plans and permits. The tool analyses submitted opinions and extracts key points and objections. The tool also automatically searches relevant passages in legal texts, policy documents and case law and proposes a draft response.Last change on 28th of October 2025, at 14:47 (CET) | Publication Standard 1.0
- Publication category
- Other algorithms
- Impact assessment
- Field not filled in.
- Status
- In use
- Tool that assists front desk staff in establishing identity by comparing the face of the person reporting to the photo on an identity document. Helps prevent look-alike fraud.Last change on 26th of June 2025, at 9:59 (CET) | Publication Standard 1.0
- Publication category
- Other algorithms
- Impact assessment
- Field not filled in.
- Status
- In use
- Tool that assists front desk staff in establishing identity by comparing the face of the person reporting to the photo on an identity document. Helps prevent look-alike fraud.Last change on 20th of October 2025, at 9:52 (CET) | Publication Standard 1.0
- Publication category
- Other algorithms
- Impact assessment
- DPIA
- Status
- In development
- Tool that assists front desk staff in establishing identity by comparing the face of the person reporting to the photo on an identity document. Helps prevent look-alike fraud.Last change on 18th of September 2025, at 12:57 (CET) | Publication Standard 1.0
- Publication category
- High-Risk AI-system
- Impact assessment
- Field not filled in.
- Status
- In use
- Tool that assists front desk staff in establishing identity by comparing the face of the person reporting to the photo on an identity document. Helps prevent look-alike fraud.Last change on 20th of May 2025, at 14:00 (CET) | Publication Standard 1.0
- Publication category
- Other algorithms
- Impact assessment
- Field not filled in.
- Status
- In use