Today, the District Court of The Hague delivered its judgment in the PFAS case against the State of the Netherlands.
In these proceedings, the claimants sought an order requiring the government to cease issuing permits and to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, the removal of PFAS from the soil. We are of the opinion that the government has done insufficiently to prevent the spread of PFAS. PFAS cause serious illness in humans. Given the significant risks associated with PFAS exposure, we believe there is no political room for complacency.
The Court followed the environmental federations in finding that it has already been established that the State will fail to comply with its statutory obligation to meet the PFOS standard by 22 December 2027, and that failure to meet this standard in time constitutes an unlawful act. However, the Court also considered that the State may be granted a postponement of this obligation. This means that the State will be acting unlawfully once it becomes clear that such postponement will not be granted.
For the remainder, the Court held that it is not for the judiciary to prescribe political choices and dismissed the claims. In light of the foregoing, the environmental federations consider this incomprehensible and are considering lodging an appeal.
Amsterdam, 11 February 2026
mr. G. Knoops
mr. C. Knoops-Hamburger
mr. J. de Koning
mr. A. Nijboer