Dryade, together with ClientEarth and 13 NGOs, is once again going to court against INEOS's attempts to build Europe’s largest plastic project in the port of Antwerp.
The aim of the project is to process fossil gas, mainly imported from the US, to produce ethylene – a key component of plastic.
The environmental groups have been forced to file another lawsuit against the approval of the project by the Flemish Region, after the region unexpectedly withdrew its previous permit and then immediately granted a new approval.
Following the introduction of the new Nitrogen Decree, the Flemish Region decided to grant the British company a new permit, which they said increased 'legal certainty'.
In the new lawsuit, the organisations argue that the withdrawal of the permit by the Flemish Region constitutes an abuse of power – meaning that it misused its authority.
The lawsuit also states that INEOS has once again failed to fully inform the authorities about the actual impact of the development on people, nature, and the climate – not only in the region but across the entire value chain.
On behalf of the coalition of NGOs, Dries Verhaeghe, a lawyer at Dryade, states: “The authorities in Flanders are using all the tricks they know to accommodate petrochemical giants like INEOS. It is clear where their loyalty lies – not with the health of their citizens, or the future of our planet. INEOS's plastic project raises significant environmental and legal concerns. We will go to court again to ensure that it is stopped.”
The hearing in the case could take place next year, with a ruling shortly thereafter.