Discover the commitments behind the Canal
Find here the structural commitments of the Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe and the project partners.
Discover the commitments behind the Canal
Find here the structural commitments of the Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe and the project partners.
Legally established in April 2016 and operational in May 2017, the Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe (SCSNE) is the project owner of the Seine-Nord Europe Canal , its mission is to conduct the detailed design studies, the authorization procedures and the construction work of this major European project.
At the beginning of 2025, the SCSNE team comprised over 100 people, based at its headquarters in Compiègne (Oise) and Lille (Nord). Their expertise covers all the responsibilities of a project owner for a major infrastructure project, ranging from engineers with diverse specializations (environment, geotechnics, hydraulics, project management, etc.) to experts in fields such as public procurement and purchasing, land acquisition, archaeology, public consultation and communication, and, of course, the functions that enable any organization to operate smoothly: legal, finance, human resources, and information systems specialists. It is the collective work of everyone involved that allows SCSNE to bring together expertise and coordinate the various partners to successfully complete this "project of the century."
SCSNE has set 4 priorities for action that guide its project management:
EGAPRO Index : In accordance with legal and regulatory provisions aimed at eliminating pay gaps between women and men in the company, the Seine-Nord Europe Canal Company (SCSNE) has calculated its Gender Equality Index for the calendar years 2024 and 2025. SCSNE is committed to establishing an action plan to improve professional equality between women and men. It will publish its progress here each year.
The unique feature of the SCSNE is that it is a local public establishment, meaning it is managed by local authorities in partnership with the French government and the European Union. It is governed by a Supervisory Board, chaired by Xavier Bertrand, President of the Hauts-de-France Regional Council, and vice-chaired by Nadège Lefèbvre, President of the Oise Departmental Council. This Supervisory Board comprises 30 members representing local authorities, the French government, and the European Union, which has an advisory role. It also includes a member of parliament, a senator, a qualified expert, and the Director General of VNF, the future operator and maintainer of the Canal. The Supervisory Board meets at least four times a year to ensure the proper management of the SCSNE and to vote on major decisions such as the budget.
Updated December 22, 2025
The Strategic Committee , another governance body, is a large assembly (over 160 members): one representative from each of the 64 municipalities crossed by the canal, one representative from each inter-municipal public cooperation body crossed by the canal, two members of parliament and two senators, and representatives of the project's stakeholders. Its purpose is to inform the deliberations of the project owner and all project stakeholders to foster ownership of the project, create favorable conditions for its successful implementation, and maximize the benefits of the future canal for the surrounding areas during construction and after its commissioning.
The SCSNE Management Board is composed of three members: Jérôme Dezobry, Chairman of the Management Board, Séverine Riche and Vincent Hulot, members of the Management Board. Their mission is to implement the decisions of the Supervisory Board, supported by three expert committees:
The Seine-Nord Europe Canal is part of the major European waterway project called Seine-Escaut. The SCSNE thus interacts with the France-Flanders-Wallonia intergovernmental conference. It is a member of the Seine-Escaut European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG), which brings together the owners of the various development projects for the waterways of the river link: Voies navigables de France (VNF), the Public Service of Wallonia (SPW) and De Vlaasme Waterweg (DVW) in Flanders.
