In a small country such as the Netherlands, the challenges facing the industrial sector and the environment are significant. Social and legal developments are moving at a rapid pace: the decarbonisation of industry, the nitrogen crisis, gas extraction, as well as the continually tightening environmental legislation from Brussels, increasing attention to substances of very high concern (SVHCs), and the (impending) water crisis are all part of the daily reality.
We do not merely monitor these developments closely; we also recognise that they call for concrete as well as structural solutions.
We have extensive specialist knowledge and experience in advising and litigating (both in administrative and civil law proceedings) on behalf of the industrial sector. We act for both (multinational) companies in the (heavy and chemical) industry and the energy sector, as well as for public authorities, including regulatory and supervisory bodies.
Our lawyers regularly advise on a wide range of environmental law issues, including emissions, waste, Natura 2000 areas, nitrogen regulation, mining activities, external safety legislation, the protection of (animal) species and soil contamination. We are involved at all stages of environmental decision-making processes (permits, supervision and enforcement), while also taking an integrated approach to how strategies and ambitions relating to sustainability, such as new environmental technologies and installations aimed at reducing emissions and the production of hydrogen, can be legally implemented.
Our extensive experience has taught us that clients in the industrial sector operate in a dynamic landscape in which a wide range of stakeholders (various public authorities, supply-chain partners, environmental organisations and local communities) and interests are involved. Behind decisions relating to environmental and industrial matters, political and administrative considerations, societal developments and (media) attention to environmental issues invariably play a role.
Because experience also shows that the various parties in environmental and industrial disputes generally need to continue working together on a long-term basis (for example, companies and their competent authorities), we always seek to look beyond the immediate dispute. With our clients’ interests as the guiding principle, we aim to identify structural and pragmatic solutions that work for all parties involved.