Preface
This is the third annual report from Doping Authority Netherlands. Until 2019, the work of the National Anti-Doping Organisation in our country was done by the Netherlands Anti-Doping Authority (the ADAN foundation). However, effective 2019, those tasks have been taken over by the independent administrative body (zbo) Doping Authority Netherlands. The then CEO of Doping Authority Netherlands, Herman Ram, was succeeded by current CEO Vincent Egbers on 1 September 2021.
The corona pandemic had a major impact on the work of Doping Authority Netherlands in 2021. It became very difficult to fulfil the authority's remit. However, the implementation of doping controls and educational activities did not come to a complete halt in the year under review. Nevertheless, the almost complete stoppage of sports competitions and the necessary corona measures announced by the government involved major restrictions until the end of the year. In addition, several employees were affected (personally or in their immediate circles) by the pandemic, and that further complicated operations. It was therefore possible to achieve the goals set for 2021 in part only.
We did manage, working with our partners, to conduct enough tests prior to the Olympic Games on the Dutch athletes who participated in the Games.
The Anti-Doping Policy Implementation Act (Wuab) lists the tasks of Doping Authority Netherlands. In Chapter 1, we report on how we have implemented our remit of ‘providing information about doping’ (Wuab, Article 5(d)). Chapters 2, 4, and 8 describe various aspects of ‘the implementation of the doping control process’ (Wuab, Article 5(b)). Chapter 3 contains information about ‘the collection and investigation of information about possible violations of doping regulations’ (Wuab, Article 5(c)). The other chapters describe the implementation of a range of support tasks and processes needed to fulfil the statutory remit in a correct way.
As an independent administrative body, Doping Authority Netherlands is also covered by the Government Information (Public Access) Act (Wet openbaarheid bestuur (Wob)). One Wob request was received in 2021.
Doping Authority Netherlands is also governed by the General Administrative Law Act (Algemene wet bestuursrecht, Awb) and the CEO of Doping Authority Netherlands made one decision about an objection in 2021. This decision was published (after anonymisation) on the corporate website of Doping Authority Netherlands.
Doping Authority Netherlands has its own Complaints Procedure in addition to the arrangements under the General Administrative Law Act (Awb). It was not used in 2021.