Dutch controversial duck slaughterhouse, 4.5 miljoen ducks slaughterd annually, loses license: 'Serious risk' of criminal activity

 

The end is looming for the controversial duck slaughterhouse Tomassen Duck-To. The municipality of Ermelo is revoking Tomassen's permit due to a "serious risk" of it being misused for criminal purposes.

Gep Leeflang 04-09-25, 17:34

Tomassen has been under fire for years for illegal activities, including construction work for which it doesn't have a permit. A deal with the municipality regarding a new, comprehensive permit seemed to put an end to that. Everything would become legal in one fell swoop.

To Tomassen's chagrin,  Ermelo called off that deal . Now the mayor and aldermen are also revoking all of the company's existing permits. They made the draft decision to that effect on Tuesday. A final decision will follow at the end of this year after the company has responded.

Criminal activities

The municipal executive says it has no other choice under the Bibob Act. This law was enacted to combat undermining (the mixing of criminal activities with legitimate business). It is intended to prevent government bodies from unintentionally facilitating criminal activities through, for example, subsidies or permits.

A Bibob (Probity Screening) assessment, for example, investigates whether money laundering or fraud is taking place. If the conclusion is that there is a serious risk, a license can be revoked. This conclusion is also reached if the company fails to provide the requested information.

Public Prosecution Service suggested investigation after raid in Ermelo

In October of last year, the Public Prosecution Service in Ermelo recommended a comprehensive Bibob investigation into Tomassen. This was shortly after the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority raided two of the company's locations in September.

The raid was prompted by a report that Tomassen was changing the expiration dates on its packaging. Repackaging a frozen duck that was approaching its expiration date would allow it to remain on the market for longer.  A criminal investigation was launched following the raid . The results are not yet known.

Business partners are also assessed

Ermelo launched an investigation and subsequently requested advice from the National Bibob Office (LBB), a division of the Ministry of Justice and Security.

The LBB not only vets the license holders themselves, but also their business partners. Tomassen Duck-To, which has existed since 1964, merged with the Thai company Bangkok Ranch in 2007. Since then, it has been part of the international BR Group.

Such a structure is not unusual. Whether the "serious danger" of criminal activity originates from business associates or lies with Tomassen himself is not disclosed. The Bibob investigation is confidential; the municipality is not permitted to disclose anything about it, not even under confidentiality agreements with the municipal council.

According to Mayor Hans van Daalen, Tomassen himself did receive the Bibob report.

Lost permit without proof

Bibob decisions often lead to considerable frustration because there is no requirement for proof of criminal offenses. The LBB also bases its advice on investigations that have not yet been completed, and on non-public information from the police and the Tax and Customs Administration, including anonymous tips.

The company under investigation does not have this, but could lose its license without a concrete criminal charge or ruling.

It is not known whether the Public Prosecution Service's tip to launch an investigation is related to the raid.

Major consequences for the entire sector

If Tomassen loses its permit—the company can challenge the final decision in court—it will have serious consequences. Tomassen controls the entire national duck supply chain. Closure of the slaughterhouse  will affect all Dutch duck farmers . According to the latest figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS), that number is thirty.

They have nowhere else to go. The duck slaughterhouse in Ermelo is the only one in the Netherlands and processes over 4.5 million ducks annually. There's no suitable alternative in Belgium or Germany.

Van Dalen acknowledges that the decision could lead to the end of the sector in the Netherlands. That impact would be "severe," he says. However, he says the municipality is not responsible for that, but Tomassen Duck-To.

Company was too optimistic

For years, Tomassen assumed he would resolve the permit issues. In 2022, director Jeroen IJzerman said of the newly applied-for permit that it was " one minute to midnight  until it's in."

Last December, CEO Gertjan Tomassen addressed his employees in a newsletter. "They're working hard behind the scenes, but they  always want new information ," he explained, explaining why the matter hadn't yet been resolved. "We can continue production under the old permit at any time."

The company has not yet responded to the municipality's decision to withdraw it.

Also read these articles about the Ermelo duck dossier:

Hammer blow for duck slaughterhouse: judge annuls Tomassen Duck-To nature permit  

Tomassen Duck-To escapes €500,000 fine : Council of State intervenes 

Tomassen Duck-To harsh criticism of Ermelo: 'The municipality demands a ten-pronged approach from us'  

New footage of duck abuse : 'Stuffed like dirty laundry in a washing machine' 

Ermelo set aside legal objections to slaughterhouse deal, councilor accepted warnings