Greenpeace is staging a rally in front on N-VA's headquarters in Brussels on Monday morning as the civil society organisation calls out the Flemish right-wing and nationalist party's support of fossil fuels.
Environmental activists have placed banners over the N-VA headquarters to call out the party's links with the fossil fuel industry.
The move comes after Greenpeace accused N-VA of blocking Belgium from leaving the Energy Charter Treaty (TCE), which the NGO believes "protects the interests of the fossil fuel industry in face of state-led climate and energy policies."
Over the weekend, Flemish Environment Minister and member of N-VA, Zuhal Demir, also criticised the loss and damage fund established at COP27 to help vulnerable countries deal with the inevitable impact of climate change.
TCE under fire
According to Greenpeace, N-VA is blocking the decision to quit the agreement. "Getting out of the ECT as soon as possible is the only democratically acceptable option. The fact that the N-VA is putting the handbrake on an exit from the TCE shows that the party cares more about the interests of the fossil fuel industry than those of its citizens," the NGO said.
The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) is an international agreement that establishes a multilateral framework for cross-border cooperation in the energy industry, principally the fossil fuel industry.
The treaty has been established since 1998 and enables investors to take legal action against governments for policies that put their investments at risk.
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In recent years, the treaty has been used by the fossil fuel industry to seek compensation from countries trying to limit their activities in order to move toward green energy.
While Italy withdrew from the treaty as early as 2016, several European countries have announced they will leave the TCE, including the Netherlands and Spain, after the TCE has come under fire for protecting investments in the oil and gas sector.
Luxembourg also announced a few days ago it was exiting the agreement. In September, Poland started the withdrawal process, and Germany has recently indicated interest in leaving.
