ClientEarth and 14 other non-governmental organisations said on Tuesday 17 September that they were again suing the British chemical group Ineos, which plans to build a plant to produce ethylene (plastic) by processing fossil gas in the port of Antwerp. It is expected to be the largest plant of its kind in Europe.
The coalition is calling on Ineos to reveal the “real impact” of this project “on people, nature and the climate – not just in the region, but throughout the value chain”.
Another culprit, according to the NGOs, is the Flemish authorities, who are accused of having approved the Ineos project following the implementation of new regional rules on nitrogen and the granting of a new permit that would increase “legal certainty”. “The Flemish authorities are using every trick in the book to satisfy the petrochemical giants”, said the coalition’s lawyer, Dries Verhaeghe.
The plaintiffs are counting on a hearing some time next year, and are already hoping that the judgement will be handed down “shortly thereafter”. (Original version in French by Florent Servia)