The Dutch province of Limburg is allowing ENCI in Maastricht, The Netherlands, to continue operating despite the retraction of the cement plant’s licence by the country’s State Council last February. The step was taken to safeguard the direct employment of 150 staff and the indirect employment of a further 300.

The State Council concluded that the impacts of cement production at the plant on two neighbouring Belgian nature reserves was insufficiently known. Following this report, the pressure group ENCI Stop demanded that the province would halt production at the cement works. However, the provincial authorities have refused the request and have asked ENCI to carry out a new investigation into the environmental impacts of its operations by 1 August. If the outcome of the investigation is positive, it is expected that ENCI will obtain a new licence at the end of the year.