(1)

Decarbonising transport, in particular through creating the conditions for an ambitious modal shift of long-distance freight traffic to energy-efficient transport modes is a key policy objective of the European Union. The Paris agreement has confirmed and strengthened the EU ambitions towards fighting climate change.

(2)

In this context, fostering inland waterway transport to move goods is a clear priority of the EU transport policy and a long-standing priority of the TEN-T policy.

(3)

Through the completion of the Seine – Scheldt network, the Seine basin will be directly linked by continuous high-gauge inland waterway to the Scheldt basin in the north of France, Belgium and the Netherlands and further, to other important European waterway basins such as the Rhine and the Maas. This will create a continuous, effective and consistent high capacity inland waterway network linking the numerous maritime and inland ports of this wider European cross-border region.

(4)

Through connecting France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and beyond Germany, the Seine-Scheldt network has a clear cross-border dimension.

(5)

The Seine – Scheldt project is pre-identified on the North Sea – Mediterranean Core Network Corridor and the section Le Havre – Paris is pre-identified on the Atlantic Core Network Corridor. The Declaration on the implementation of the TEN-T Core Network Corridor North Sea – Mediterranean (the Declaration of Tallinn) of 17 October 2013, signed by the Belgian, Dutch and French Transport Ministers and by the Transport Commissioner, has further underlined the commitment of the concerned parties to implement it. Moreover, the Work Plan for the North Sea – Mediterranean Core Network Corridor emphasises the need to ensure completion of the Seine – Scheldt project as the foundation for establishing a fully functioning multimodal transport corridor.

(6)

One of the major objectives of the project is to ensure that the main Seine – Scheldt itineraries are at least of ECMT class Va and to secure good navigation conditions.

(7)

All components of the project Seine – Scheldt are essential for its completion. Among them, the Canal Seine-Nord Europe is the main missing link, without which the Seine – Scheldt network cannot be realised.

(8)

The Seine – Scheldt project is a complex cross-border project, involving Belgium (the regions of Flanders and Wallonia) and France and involving works aiming both at creating new infrastructure and at improving existing infrastructure with minimal impact on navigation. Sufficient coordination is therefore an important challenge. In order to support the coordinated and timely implementation of the project, it is necessary to adopt provisions laying down a description of the necessary actions and the timetable for their implementation. This would help achieving the cross-border objectives of the Work Plan for the North Sea – Mediterranean Core Network Corridor, as well as to complete the Seine – Scheldt project at the earliest possible date and, in any case, by 2030 at the latest.

(9)

The clear identification of the necessary actions to complete the Seine – Scheldt project and the timetable for their implementation is also important to plan and fully optimise the availability of European, national and regional funding as well as private financing. EU co-financing has a leverage effect on national and regional decision-making for the implementation of the actions.

(10)

Belgium (the regions of Flanders and Wallonia) and France have already carried out significant works (studies and infrastructure works) contributing to the realisation of the Seine-Scheldt project. Most of them have been co-financed by the European Union, under different programmes. Activities are currently performed under a Grant Agreement of the Connecting Europe Facility (2014-EU-TM-0373-M, ‘Seine-Escaut 2020’), involving Union funding up to 50 % of the eligible costs.

(11)

The cross-border dimension of the project requires setting up dedicated governance structures. Belgium (the regions of Flanders and Wallonia) and France closely cooperate since years, notably within the framework of the Inter-Governmental Commission for the preparation of the completion of the Seine – Scheldt project, established in September 2009. This Inter-Governmental Commission has the operational support of the Seine –Scheldt European Economic Interest Grouping (Seine-Scheldt EEIG) gathering Voies Navigables de France (VNF), the Société du canal Seine-Nord Europe (SCSNE), the Public Service of Wallonia (SPW) and De Vlaamse Waterweg NV. The Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe, in charge of the construction of the canal Seine-Nord, has been set up in May 2017. These dedicated entities constitute an integrated management structure that supervise and coordinate the completion of the Seine – Scheldt project. The European Coordinator for the North Sea – Mediterranean Core Network Corridor and a representative of the Commission should regularly participate in the meetings of the Inter-Governmental Commission and Seine-Scheldt EEIG as observers. Moreover, the European Coordinator and a representative of the Commission should participate in the meetings of the supervisory board (conseil de surveillance) of the SCSNE as observers. Further appropriate arrangements may be envisaged by France in order to keep the Commission duly involved in this supervisory board.

(12)

In order to monitor progress of the implementation, the Member States should provide the Commission with regular reports on the matter, concerning the sections situated in their respective territories, and notify any delays encountered.

(13)

The implementation timetable set out by this Decision should be without prejudice to the fulfilment of the requirements defined in the international and Union law, including provisions to protect the environment and human health. This timetable should allow to plan and fully optimise the availability of funding, without prejudging the financial commitment of a Member State or of the Union. It should, under no circumstances, compromise the Union's high standards for environmental protection and public participation.

(14)

Without prejudice to Article 47(2) second subparagraph of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013, it is appropriate to foresee a review clause in this Decision.

(15)

The measures provided for in this Decision have been approved by Belgium and France.

(16)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee referred to in Article 52 of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013,