The “Implementing Act” adopted by the European Commission

Proposed in March 2018 by Xavier Bertrand, President of the Hauts-de-France Region and President of the Supervisory Board of the Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe, the "Implementing Act" or "act of execution" comes to be adopted by the European Commission and published in the OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union).
The signing of this implementing act reinforces the commitment of the European Commission, in agreement with the Member States concerned, for the construction of the largest European river network, the Seine-Escaut link. This new step secures the financing of the river developments to be carried out in Hauts-de-France, in particular the Seine-Nord Europe canal, the central link of the future network, beyond the commitments already made until 2022.

During the July 2, 2019 meeting of the Seine-Escaut Intergovernmental Commission, between France, Flanders and Wallonia, which was held in Lille at the headquarters of the Hauts-de-France Region, Professor Péter Balázs, coordinator of the North Sea – Mediterranean corridor, came to present the “Implementing Act”. This “act of execution” was drawn up by all the partners of the Seine-Escaut network – Belgian and French. Signed by the European Commission on June 27, 2019, published in the OJEU on Monday 1 July, Péter Balázs pointed out that it was a fundamental step for the project and confirm the increasing support from the European Union for the Seine-Escaut network, since its inclusion in 2004 as a priority project of the European core network.

The European Union is already providing significant financial support to the Seine-Escaut project through the Seine-Escaut 2014-2020 financing agreement, as part of the Mechanism for Interconnection in Europe (CEI), and binding the French Republic , the Flemish and Walloon Regions of Belgium and the European Infrastructure Network Agency (INEA). It is set at 50% of the amount of the studies and 40% of the works. The implementing act decided sets and specifies the deadlines for the completion of the various sections of the Seine-Escaut network until its complete opening, in particular with the commissioning of the Seine-Nord Europe canal. Developments are now eligible for work funding from the EU up to 50% of their amount. 

Seine-Escaut is thus the largest project for river transport and modal shift in Europe. The Seine-Escaut network (1100 km long) provides in particular for the construction of the Seine-Nord Europe canal, an essential link to connect the wide-gauge network of Île-de-France and the ports of Rouen and Le Havre to southern Europe. North and to the ports of Dunkirk, and Northern Europe. It will be a powerful factor of attractiveness, economic development and jobs for Hauts-de-France.

The Seine-Nord Europe Canal Company, which associates the State, and the local authorities which finance the project (Departments of Oise, Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Somme, as well as the Hauts de France and Île de France), is in charge of carrying out the Canal Seine Nord Europe project.