Submission of the “Seine-Escaut 2020” file

Alain Vidalies, Secretary of State for Transport, the Sea and Fisheries, Maxime Prévot, Vice-President of the Walloon Government and Minister of Public Works, Health, Social Action and Heritage, and Léo Clinckers , representative of the Flemish Minister of Public Works Ben Weyts, met today in Lens to record the submission of the “Seine-Escaut 2020” grant application file to the European Commission.

France and Belgium are therefore requesting funding from the European Union for 40% of the investments made over the 2014-2020 period over the entire scope of the Seine-Escaut project, the maximum rate allowed by European regulations. This file follows on from the Tallinn Declaration of October 2013, co-signed by the Ministers of Transport and Public Works of the territories concerned and the European Commission.

Wallonia, Flanders and France recalled on this occasion that the support of Europe was an essential lever for the realization of the Seine-Escaut project, which will make it possible to create an integrated and large-scale river network in the heart of the Europe.

On French territory, this project includes not only the construction of the Seine-Nord Europe canal, but also support operations upstream and downstream of the canal on the Seine, Oise and in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. , operated by Voies navigables de France. For these support operations, the European funding obtained within the framework of this file will thus supplement that provided for in the 2015-2020 State-Region planning contracts currently being finalized.

“I would like to underline the important financial partnership, around river transport, between the State, local authorities and Europe, and would like it to be long-term. After the decision to create a project company in charge of building the Seine-Nord Europe canal, adopted by the National Assembly at the end of January, the submission of this grant file to the European Union makes it possible to cross a new step towards the completion of this major project, with an objective of starting work in 2017 and commissioning from 2023 ” said Alain Vidalies.

For Minister Maxime Prévot, the Seine-Escaut link project is a major issue for Wallonia. “It will allow the creation of a large-gauge European navigation network connecting the main industrial, logistic and commercial centers and will reaffirm Wallonia's strategic position as an intermodal hub ideally located at the heart of Europe. In addition to the economic development, job creation and economies of scale that will be achieved, this project will make it possible to increase river traffic of goods by 22% by 2020 in Wallonia ”. With regard to funding, Minister Prévot has already provided for the necessary budgetary commitments, in particular for the upgrading of the Tournai crossing, which will also be the subject of an urban planning permit very soon. .

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