Risicobereik

Risicobereik is a Dutch risk management term that refers to the range of risk exposure an organization is prepared to accept in pursuit of its objectives. It defines the practical boundary within which decisions are made, balancing potential value creation against possible losses. In Dutch practice, risicobereik is closely related to, but distinct from, risk appetite and risk tolerance: risk appetite describes the overall willingness to take risks at the strategic level, while risk tolerance specifies acceptable variances for individual objectives or processes. The risicobereik emerges from combining these concepts and applying them across risk categories such as strategic, financial, operational, IT, and compliance.

The board and executive management typically articulate the risicobereik through a risk appetite statement and risk tolerances, which are cascaded into standards, controls, and escalation thresholds at the business-unit level. Decisions that would push exposures outside the defined range require additional approvals or corrective actions. The concept also guides capital allocation, project selection, and remediation priorities by clarifying which risks are tolerable and which are not.

Measurement and communication of the risicobereik can be qualitative (low, medium, high) or quantitative (loss limits, probability thresholds, capital at risk). Common tools include risk assessments, scenario analysis, stress testing, risk dashboards, and risk registers. In governance, risk, and compliance frameworks, the risicobereik helps align strategy with risk capacity and ensures that risk-taking remains within approved boundaries.