[The Dutch 'Wet op het Bevolkingsonderzoek' (Population Screening Act): adaptation preferable to repeal]

The Dutch 'Wet op het Bevolkingsonderzoek' (Population Screening Act) requires a license for some forms of screening, for example, screening for incurable diseases. In its recent report on commercial screening practices, the Dutch Health Inspectorate concludes that the Act is frequently not complied with. This is partly because in some respects the provisions of the Act are either not clear enough or difficult to apply. However, the more practical enforcement issues can and should be solved. Although some question whether the Act has a future, it should be remembered that the Act has demonstrated its value in the past. And in view of recent developments in the field of commercial screening and testing the need for legal instruments to control the increasing supply of screening services directly to the public is growing. A recent report by the Health Council of the Netherlands confirms this viewpoint.