The Dutch Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened a criminal investigation against Tata Steel IJmuiden

The company notes that it takes the criticism seriously and considers this move to be excessive

Dutch prosecutors have opened a criminal case against the local branch of Tata Steel for environmental pollution, according to Brussels Signal.

Prosecutors allege that Tata Steel failed to properly maintain parts of its industrial facilities, sometimes operated without the necessary permits, and failed to report certain incidents involving unprocessed coke.

The case stems from a class action complaint filed in 2021 by lawyer Benedict Fick on behalf of around 800 residents living near the steelworks in Eemeden.

The first procedural hearing is scheduled for 20 November 2026 at the Amsterdam District Court. According to the Public Prosecution Service, the specific offences of which the company stands accused will be set out there. Prosecutors are also examining whether individual directors of the company can be held personally liable.

For its part, Tata Steel IJmuiden stated in a press release that the company takes the concerns and criticism seriously, is continuously taking steps to improve, and considers the principle of good neighbourliness towards the surrounding communities to be important.

The company acknowledged incidents involving ‘raw coke’, which can lead to short-term spikes in emissions, but maintains that such incidents are technically unavoidable in large-scale industrial production.

Tata Steel IJmuiden considers it excessive to bring criminal proceedings over a “limited number of past incidents” at the coke chemical units, which have been the subject of technical improvements. Furthermore, these units are set to be completely shut down in the coming years as part of the ‘green’ steel project.

It should be recalled that in April it was reported that Tata Steel IJmuiden was exploring ways to resolve the issue of two coke-chemical units facing closure due to excessive emissions of heavy metal particles and carcinogenic benzene. In March, the company paid €8.5 million in fines for breaching the environmental standards set for these plants, whilst further penalties were also expected to be imposed.