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Dutch NGO Files €1.4 Billion Class Action Against Tata Steel Over IJmuiden Emissions

The case now moves into a lengthy two-stage WAMCA process that typically postpones compensation by years.

Overview

  • Stichting Frisse Wind.nu served a writ on December 19 and filed the collective claim in the District Court of North Holland in Haarlem under the WAMCA regime.
  • The foundation says it acts for residents near Velsen-Noord, alleging harmful emissions caused environmental damage, heightened health risks, and depressed local property values.
  • Tata Steel says the allegations are unsubstantiated, reports it has not received the exhibits supporting the claim, and plans to challenge both admissibility and the merits.
  • Proceedings will run in two phases—admissibility then merits—with each typically taking two to three years, making any discussion of compensation unlikely in the near term.
  • The action is funded by Redbreast Associates NV and Omni Bridgeway SA, follows Dutch regulatory scrutiny in 2024 and a 2022 prosecutors’ probe, and coincides with TSN’s emissions-reduction plans including a project of up to €6.5 billion.