Grontmij plays an active role in this effort. A workshop on this topic was held from 8 to 10 October in Madrid. To increase efficiency in the management of contaminated industrial sites, NICOLE organises informative symposia that bring together representatives from industry, research institutes and service providers. Government organisations cannot become members, but they are welcome to attend the meetings in order to facilitate contacts. NICOLE is a well-functioning network of members from all over Europe who together make a serious contribution, such as in responding to European Commission policy proposals.
 
Information exchange
Since Grontmij became a member, colleagues from various countries have attended several NICOLE gatherings with to meet with customers and potential European partners. The meetings provide an ideal platform through which to exchange the latest information on policy developments in the EU and its member countries as well as on technological trends.
 
Decision support
At the autumn workshop in Madrid, for example, participants discussed the potential and limitations of decision support systems. They were also updated on the current status of the Soil Framework Directive and other European regulations, such as the revised Waste and IPPC Directives.
 
Active role
By playing an active role, Grontmij strives to be a visible contributor to the network. Arthur de Groof organised, on behalf of NICOLE, a number of well-received special sessions at ConSoil 2008, a large international congress on the management of contaminated soil and groundwater. The sessions focused on furthering the acceptance of new research and clean-up techniques and were conducted in collaboration with representatives of European governments, among others. This collaboration is being extended through the preparation of a joint proposal to the European Commission for the development of a database for the compilation of experiences.
 
Thematic working groups
NICOLE also has a number of thematic working groups that respond, for example, to draft versions of EU directives. The European Commission takes such responses very seriously. Arthur de Groof is a member of the Soil Working Group, which submitted a response, for example, to the latest proposed Soil Directive. Kristian Kirkebjerg is a member of the Working Group on Sustainable Clean-up.
 
Platform
NICOLE is in part a platform for the dissemination of information. They are also available for questions about technological and policy developments in other countries.