WADA is expected to deem Doping Authority Netherlands non-compliant, the national body itself has warned ©Getty Images

The World Anti Doping Authority (WADA) could rule Doping Authority Netherlands non-compliant at a Board meeting next month due to concerns regarding the distinction between the anti-doping body and the country's objection committee.

Article 8.1 of the World Anti-Doping Code states anti-doping organisations must provide any person who is accused of violating an anti-doping regulation with a minimum of a "a fair hearing within a reasonable time by a fair, impartial and Operationally Independent hearing panel".

The Netherlands' objection committee - National Doping Regulations Complaints Committee (BND) - is structurally a part of Doping Authority Netherlands.

Consequently, WADA has threatened to rule the doping authority "non-compliant" at next month's Board meeting.

Herman Ram, chairman of Doping Authority Netherlands, has warned he anticipates being declared non-compliant.

"I don't have a crystal ball, but I expect that we will be formally declared non-compliant, but that there will be no further punishment," Ram said, as reported by NOS.

"We are being penalised at a point that we cannot do anything about ourselves. 

"That is difficult."

Dutch amateur cyclist Sjors Dekker was banned for four years for a doping violation earlier this year ©Getty Images
Dutch amateur cyclist Sjors Dekker was banned for four years for a doping violation earlier this year ©Getty Images

Paul Blokhuis, State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sports, wrote to the Dutch Parliament, promising the objection committee would be made independent of the doping authority. 

"This gives the committee a completely independent position, but that takes time," Blockhuis said. 

The required development needs a change in law, which must be passed by Parliament.

On what this means for Dutch sport - and the Dutch Government more widely - he added: "That also affects the Dutch Government and the Dutch sports world. 

"A 'non-compliant' judgment is obviously not good for the image of Dutch sport, and in the longer term, it can also have concrete negative consequences for the position of Dutch athletes and Dutch sports organisations. 

"WADA outlines these possible consequences, the ultimate consequence of which could be that Dutch athletes can no longer participate in competitions under the Dutch flag."

The BND has heard two cases.

Earlier this year, WielerFlits reported Dutch amateur cyclist Sjors Dekker was banned for four years for the over-use of inhaler drug Salbutamol by the Dutch Cycling Federation.

The Netherlands' double Tokyo 2020 champion Sifan Hassan - perhaps the nations highest-profile athlete - has regularly faced anti-doping questions having worked with disgraced coach Alberto Salazar before he was hit with a four-year doping ban in 2019.