Damen-Werft in Rotterdam (Aufnahme vom Februar 2022)
Foto: ANP / IMAGO
One of the largest shipbuilders in the Netherlands is taking its own government to court. The reason for the lawsuit, according to a report by Bloomberg news agency, is the losses that the company claims to have suffered due to the sanctions imposed against Russia.
A spokesperson for Damen Shipyards Group, the company, stated that they are demanding compensation from the Dutch government for the damages caused by halted projects with Russian ship buyers.
Before the start of the war, Damen had several contracts with Russian customers. However, when the sanctions were imposed, the Dutch government decided that these contracts should not be fulfilled. „The government did not offer any compensation to Damen for this damage,“ the company stated.
The war has had significant impacts on the company.
The company has filed a lawsuit in Rotterdam. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, officially responsible for sanctions policy, declined to comment on the matter, according to Bloomberg. However, it seems that the case will be heard next year.
Damen Shipyards constructs ships of various types and for different uses, including cargo vessels, warships, and luxury yachts. According to a report from the British newspaper „Guardian,“ Damen was reportedly involved in repairing a yacht owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich at the beginning of the war. The company also reportedly had branches in Russian ports, including St. Petersburg, according to Bloomberg. It is unclear from the report whether the company is still present in Russia. The company did not respond to Bloomberg’s inquiries on this matter.
Last year, Damen stated that the war had „significant impacts“ on the company. The shipbuilder had approximately 6000 employees recently.