AMSTERDAM, June 3 (Reuters) – A Dutch court on Wednesday said it could hear a case brought by Greenpeace International against U.S. pipeline company Energy Transfer, in which the environmentalist group is seeking compensation for U.S. cases in which it was targeted by the company.
• The Amsterdam court said it had jurisdiction in the case, despite Energy Transfer’s objections, as Greenpeace is headquartered in the Netherlands.
• Greenpeace has sued Energy Transfer for what it says are “meritless” U.S. lawsuits by the company against groups that have protested against the Dakota Access Pipeline Project.
• Energy Transfer has said the cases against Greenpeace in the U.S. were to hold the group “accountable for its unlawful and damaging actions during the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline”.
• A North Dakota judge in February confirmed an earlier verdict that ordered Greenpeace to pay the company $345 million over its role in those protests.
• The Amsterdam court dismissed an effort by Greenpeace to seek protection under a new European law aimed at curbing lawsuits intended to silence rights activists.
• The court said this was not applicable in this case.
• It also dismissed the request by Energy Transfer to postpone the Dutch case until all U.S. cases were finalised.
• A date for a hearing was not set.
(Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Alex Richardson)
