Kaaij Brothers ordered to pay 45 million euros in FresQ case

The Hague District Court has ordered Kaaij Brothers to pay more than 45 million euros to the trustees of the FresQ bankruptcy. The tomato cultivation and marketing company is being held responsible for the recovery of improperly obtained GMO subsidies during the period when the growers' cooperative, FresQ, was active.

While the trustees sought to recover the entire estate deficit of over 54 million euros, the court rejected a portion of that claim. The court found a causal link between the actions of Kaaij Brothers and the damages regarding the reclaimed subsidies, but was not convinced that the company should be liable for all other outstanding debts and bankruptcy costs.

Cor van der Kaaij has maintained the company's innocence and indicated that an appeal is highly likely. The legal dispute stems from the European Commission's 2011 decision to reclaim millions in GMO-related subsidies.