Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

The Netherlands to leave embattled Energy Charter Treaty

The Netherlands to leave embattled Energy Charter Treaty

Decision pushes the energy pact closer to a full European withdrawal.
The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) edged closer to a full-blown European revolt Tuesday, as the Netherlands became the latest country to announce it would withdraw from the deal.

Dutch Minister for Climate and Energy Policy Rob Jetten announced the decision in the parliament on Tuesday. Spain made a similar call last week, with Poland also in the process of withdrawal. Italy has quit.

"A number of countries have now taken concrete steps to terminate their membership, and I'm going to look at how the Netherlands can best align with that as well," said Jetten. A spokesperson for Jetten confirmed to POLITICO that the decision to leave the deal was final.

Asked whether the Netherlands was cooperating with Spain and others to organize a mass EU withdrawal, the spokesperson said there was no formal coordination yet but said: "There are all sorts of conversations going on."

The deal has been under fire for the protections it offers to fossil fuel projects, allowing investors to sue governments in closed tribunals over policies directed at cutting emissions.

The Netherlands has been hit by two lawsuits under the treaty from coal plant operators pursuing the government for lost profits due to the country's plan to phase out the polluting fuel. One of those suits involves German utility Uniper, which has said it would drop the case if the German government takes a stake in the troubled company.

An attempt by the EU to reform the deal was resisted by the other members of the 50-plus-country treaty. The EU and U.K. instead won exemptions that allowed them to phase out protections for coal, oil and gas over 10 years.

Jetten said there had been improvements, but added: "We do not see how the ECT has been sufficiently aligned with the Paris Agreement." The secretary-general of the treaty, Guy Lentz, hit back at similar criticisms on Monday in an expletive-ridden tirade on Twitter, before deleting his account.

The reform proposal needs to be accepted by the EU. The Netherlands won't vote it down, the spokesperson for Jetten said, despite the country leaving the deal.

A French energy ministry spokesperson told POLITICO that the government was currently assessing the results of the reform process and if the conclusion was that the changes did not “match our ambitions and objectives” then France would “also consider a coordinated withdrawal from the ECT.” A final decision is due in days.

"It is a very significant decision," said Green MEP Anna Cavazzini, noting the Netherlands was once "one of the staunchest" backers of the investor-state dispute tribunals employed by the ECT.

"This decision to exit the ECT will create shockwaves through the whole system," she said. “The message is clear: The world has changed. States cannot accept a blanket protection of dirty investments anymore."
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
×