Greenpeace International has filed a lawsuit against U.S. pipeline company Energy Transfer in a Dutch court, marking the first use of a new European law aimed at protecting activists from silencing lawsuits, the environmental group announced on Tuesday.
The lawsuit comes after Energy Transfer filed multiple legal actions against Greenpeace USA, Greenpeace International, and other environmental groups since 2017. The U.S. company sought $300 million in damages, accusing the activists of trying to block the Dakota Access Pipeline project.
In its statement, Greenpeace International expressed its intention to recover all damages and costs incurred due to what it called Energy Transfer’s baseless lawsuits.
The legal action follows the 2024 European Union law that provides stronger protections for journalists, activists, and watchdog groups from harassment lawsuits, which often aim to burden them with costly legal battles. Greenpeace filed the case at the District Court of Amsterdam, though it remains unclear whether EU and Dutch law will apply to the lawsuit against Energy Transfer.
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