Greenpeace International has filed a lawsuit against U.S. pipeline company Energy Transfer in a Dutch court, marking the first test of a new European law designed to protect activists and journalists from lawsuits meant to silence them. Energy Transfer has pursued legal action against Greenpeace USA, Greenpeace International, and other environmental groups since 2017, seeking $300 million in damages for their opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline. Greenpeace argues that these lawsuits were baseless and aimed at suppressing activism. The organization now seeks to recover damages and legal costs incurred from these prolonged legal battles.
The lawsuit was filed in the District Court of Amsterdam, but it remains unclear whether Dutch and European laws will apply in this case. In 2024, the European Union passed regulations to prevent the misuse of lawsuits intended to harass or financially burden activists and watchdog organizations. Greenpeace International, based in Amsterdam, has cited these new legal protections in its case against Energy Transfer. The outcome could set an important precedent for how European courts handle such legal disputes involving multinational companies and advocacy groups.
