New inland shipping link approved

Flemish transport minister Hilde Crevits (pictured) signed a treaty today with three other EU ministers that paves the way for the creation of a new inland shipping corridor to link the river Seine with the river Scheldt.

The project forms part of the EU’s ambitious Trans European Transport Network (TEN-T) plan, which aims to develop an efficient network of roads, railways, canals, rivers and airports across Europe. The Seine-Scheldt link is an important part of the plan, as it will allow large inland barges to move goods more easily across the continent.

The Tallinn agreement was signed by ministers from Flanders, Wallonia, France and the Netherlands, as well as EU Commissioner Siim Kallas. The four ministers have undertaken to carry out the necessary work in their regions to realise the plan, which will be partly financed by EU funds.

The main work to be done in Flanders involves the river Leie and the Ringvaart waterway around Ghent as well as the construction of the new Terneuzen-Ghent lock. Once the corridor has been constructed, Flemish harbours are expected to benefit from improved access to large potential markets in northern France and Paris.

“Flanders, Wallonia, the Netherlands and France are working together as partners to make the Seine-Scheldt Project a sustainable European corridor for the shipment of goods,” Crevits said. “The new link will develop into an important corridor in the coming years and will have a major impact on the logistics flow in northwest Europe.”