The Seveso legislation regulates the prevention of major accidents in which hazardous substances are involved in Europe. It is trans-national legislation that has to be translated into national law in every European Member State. This article investigates how this Seveso legislation is implemented in Belgium and the Netherlands and discusses the history and effectiveness in the European Low Countries. Furthermore, the inspection approach for these specific regulations in both Member States is described and analysed. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.