The Hague Court of Appeal ordered Shell on Friday to compensate Nigerian farmers for two oil spills in the country 13 years ago, in the first lawsuit in which a company has been held liable in the Netherlands for its actions abroad. The ruling of the Dutch court is setting a precedent for future lawsuits brought against oil firms in the countries where they are based, instead of the countries where oil spills or oil pollution has allegedly taken place. “After 13 years, justice!” Friends of the Earth Europe tweeted after the Hague court’s verdict. Donald Pols, Friends of the Earth Netherlands director, said, as carried by The Associated Press : “From this moment onwards, Dutch multinationals will be held accountable for their activities and their actions in developing countries.” The court will decide at a later stage what compensation Shell’s Nigerian unit will have to pay for the […]