in addition the directive obliges member countries to prepare action programmes for the designated nitrate vulnerable zones so that the objective of the directive can be realised as well as to conduct suitable monitoring programmes to determine the extent of nitrate pollution in waters from agricultural sources and to assess the effectiveness of the action programmes instead in conformity with the nitrates directive it informed the european commission in that it would prepare an action programme for its entire territory accordingly in the netherlands the nitrates directive action programme is applied throughout the country even so legislation distinguishes between soil fertility and types in the netherlands the most important main soiltype regions are sandy loess clay and peat