Ineos may have to disclose secret details of £2.6bn port of Antwerp project

Daniël Leppens

Local politicians may have applauded the decision, but a Flanders transparency watchdog is calling on chemical company Ineos to disclose documents showing how the construction of two chemical plants at the Port of Antwerp  – which engaged in a battle with the port of Rotterdam for the deal – can be built without impinging on Belgium’s climate change commitments. The Guardian reports that the company – owned by Jim Ratcliffe, otherwise known as Britain’s richest man – as well as the port and the Flanders Investment and Trade Agency had turned down climate campaigners’ request to release documents about the board. With the watchdog ruling though, it seems like the Belgian parties to the deal will have to either offer up a strong legal argument as to why they cannot reveal the documents or… have to reveal them.