In the Dutch municipality of Meijel, a greenhouse owner has been fined €250,000 for illegally operating solar panels. The municipality had previously imposed a penalty, but repeated inspections showed that the panels were switched back on against the rules. As a result, the maximum penalty has now been reached, and the grower has also been given a new, higher fine.
According to the municipality, the earlier penalty did not provide enough incentive to stop the violation. The initial penalty was €25,000 per offense, up to a maximum of €250,000. Since this did not have the desired effect, the new fine has been doubled: €50,000 per offense, up to a maximum of €500,000.
The greenhouse in question, located on the Roggelsedijk, was originally presented to the municipality as an innovative horticultural project. The submitted business plan described lettuce production in climate-controlled growing cells, with solar panels on the roof to supply the required energy. However, the municipality has found that so far little or no crops are being grown in the facility. Until that happens, the solar panels are not allowed to be used.
The municipality argues that land designated for greenhouse horticulture must actually be used for growing crops, not just for generating solar power. The case has already been through the courts. In August 2024, the Limburg District Court ruled that the municipality was correct to enforce penalties. Following that decision, the grower temporarily shut down the panels.
However, inspections continued, and when officials recently discovered the panels had been switched on again without any significant lettuce production taking place, they moved to enforce the penalty system. After ten consecutive violations, the maximum penalty of €250,000 was triggered, and the grower is now required to pay.
Enforcement action
Mayor Bob Vostermans explained: "The entrepreneur came to us with a promising plan for innovative greenhouse horticulture. So far, very little of that has materialized, while the solar panels have been used to feed energy back into the grid. Beyond the financial profit, a large national sustainability subsidy is also linked to this project. Since the entrepreneur is not following the rules, we are forced to take action. The fines must now be paid, and we are immediately imposing a new, higher penalty to put an end to this illegal situation."
Source: Gemeente Peel en Maas
