Dutch court sees no need to block state aid for airline KLM

The court, however, said the demands made by Greenpeace went further than the climate goals for the aviation industry which have internationally been agreed. It also said that the Dutch state can only be held responsible for emissions within the Netherlands, while the pollution caused by KLM is mainly the result of international flights.

A Dutch court on Wednesday dismissed a demand by Greenpeace to block the 3.4 billion euros ($4.12 billion) of state aid granted to airline KLM earlier this year.

The environmentalist group had asked the court last month to block the aid for the Dutch arm of Air France-KLM, as it said the government had failed to force the airline to make its business more sustainable. After months of negotiations, the Dutch government agreed in June to offer KLM an aid package to keep it flying through the coronavirus crisis, on the condition of cost cuts and with new environmental and noise pollution targets attached.

Greenpeace argued that these the conditions were not strong enough to reduce KLM's overall greenhouse gas emissions, while it was the government's duty to protect its citizens and reduce these emissions as much as it possibly could. The court, however, said the demands made by Greenpeace went further than the climate goals for the aviation industry which have internationally been agreed.

It also said that the Dutch state can only be held responsible for emissions within the Netherlands, while the pollution caused by KLM is mainly the result of international flights.

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