Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1888 of 10 July 2024 on the Seine – Scheldt cross-border project on the North Sea – Mediterranean and Atlantic Core Network Corridors and repealing Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1118 (notified under document C(2024) 4754)

Subject matter

Article 1

This Decision lays down a description of the actions and the implementation timetable for the cross-border project Seine – Scheldt, as well as related governance provisions.

Actions and timetable

Article 2

Belgium and France shall ensure the timely implementation of the following actions: (a) Seine-Amont, from Nogent-sur-Seine to Paris: improvement of the navigation conditions, by December 2030 — improvement of the navigation conditions, including the reconstruction of the weirs (Beaulieu, Livon, Vives-Eaux), by December 2028, rehabilitation of locks (such as Evry and Vigneux), and lengthening and deepening of the Ablon lock by December 2029; — establishment of the remote control of the locks and weirs, by December 2027; — improvement of the facilities for navigation and services to the users, by December 2027; — Completion of preparatory studies by December 2025, preparatory works to upgrade the section between Bray-sur-Seine and Nogent-sur-Seine (28 km, including the construction of a new canal of 10 kilometres) to ECMT class Va by December 2028, and start of the main works by December 2030; (b) Seine-Aval, from Suresnes to Le Havre: upgrades and improvement of the navigation conditions, by December 2027 — rehabilitation of the locks (such as Méricourt Bougival, Suresnes, Andrésy, Notre-Dame-dela-Garenne, Amfreville) and lengthening of one of the locks in Méricourt, by December 2026; — modernization of the weirs (Port-Mort, Poses, Méricourt, Bougival, Suresnes, Andrésy, Denouval), by December 2027, including the reinforcement of the embankment of Croissy-sur-Seine by December 2025; — establishment of the remote control of the locks and weirs, by December 2027; — improvement of the facilities for navigation and services to the users, by December 2027; — construction of the footbridge of Poses-Amfreville, by December 2026; (c) Oise, from Conflans-Sainte-Honorine to Compiègne: upgrade to ECMT class Vb and improvement of navigation conditions, by December 2028 — upgrade of the Oise river to ECMT class Vb between Creil and Compiègne (MAGEO : dredging, banks reshaping and bridge pier protection, creation of the Verneuil hydraulic compensation site and environmental features) by December 2028; — reconstruction of the bridge of Mours, by December 2028; — establishment of the remote control of the locks and weirs, by December 2027; (d) Canal Seine-Nord Europe, from Compiègne to Aubencheul-au-Bac: construction and entry into operation, with ECMT class Vb and enabling three layers of containers, by December 2030 (1) sector 1 from Compiegne to Passel (18,6 km), including the construction of the lock of Montmacq: — completion of the works by December 2029; — entry into operation of the waterway section by June 2030; (2) sector 2 from Passel to Allaines (46 km) crossing 33 municipalities, Sector 3 from Allaines to Etricourt-Manancourt (15 km) crossing 3 municipalities and Sector 4 from Etricourt-Manancourt to Aubencheul-au-Bac (28 km) crossing 11 municipalities, including the construction of the locks of Noyon, Catigny, Allaines, Marquion-Bourlon, Oisy-Le-Verger and the junction lock with the Canal du Nord to the south of the lock of Allaines, of the storage basin of Louette and of the canal bridge (pont-canal) of 1,33 km crossing the Somme Valley: — single environmental authorization by August 2024; — start of the main works by September 2025; — completion of the works by June 2030 ; — entry into operation of the waterway section by December 2030. (e) Dunkerque - Scheldt axis, including the canal of Dunkerque from Valenciennes to the Scheldt and to the Walloon backbone, and the Deûle in the direction of Gent: with the aim of gradually calibrating the canal to ECMT class Va (bidirectional) and class Vb (unidirectional), and improving the navigation conditions, by December 2027 (1) on all sections: — a first phase of preliminary studies to increase the capacity of the locks (by doubling and/or lengthening), by June 2025; — establishment of the remote control of the locks, by December 2025; — Conduct studies identifying measures adapting the height of engineering structures on the axe Dunkerque-Escaut for the passage of vessels carrying three layers of containers, by September 2027; — progressively securing the navigation conditions for ECMT class Va vessels, by December 2027; (2) section from Arleux to Deulemont: — upgrade of the Deûle to ECMT class Va (bidirectional) and class Vb (unidirectional), by June 2024 — lengthening of the Quesnoy-sur-Deûle lock, by December 2026; (3) section from Bauvin to Dunkerque: — defenses of the riverbanks of the canal of Aire Neufossé (phases 1 and 2), by December 2026, and defenses of the riverbanks and rehabilitation of the waterline on the biefs of Fontinettes, by December 2027; — studies of rehabilitation of downstream head and solid ground of the Fontinettes lock, by December 2030; (f) Walloon Backbone, from Pommerœul to Namur: upgrade to ECMT class Va, by December 2030 — on all sections: the establishment of the remote control for weirs and locks, by December 2030 (1) Section from Pommerœul to Seneffe: upgrade to ECMT class Va, including the adaptation of the Nimy-Blaton-Péronnes canal and the construction of the Obourg lock (ECMT class Va) next to the existing one (ECMT class IV), completion of the works by December 2030; (2) Section from Seneffe to Charleroi: upgrade to ECMT class Va and the construction of new locks respectively in Marchienne, Gosselies and Viesville (ECMT class Va) next to the existing ones (ECMT class IV), completion by December 2030; (3) Section from Charleroi to Namur: — improvement of crossing possibilities and navigation conditions, with studies to be finalised by December 2024 and works by 2030; (g) Upper Scheldt: (1) in the region of Wallonia (Belgium): capacity increase by duplication of the locks and securing of the lock sites, through the adaptation of the locks of Hérinnes and Kain, with finalisation of the studies by December 2026 and of the works by December 2030; (2) in the region of Flanders (Belgium): finalisation of the studies for an upgrade of the locks to ECMT class Vb by June 2024, and drawing up of a technical and financial implementation plan by June 2025; (h) Lys: upgrade to ECMT class Vb (unidirectional) and Va (bidirectional), enabling 3 layers of containers, by December 2030, including: (1) in the region of Flanders (Belgium), between Ghent and Wervik: — ECMT class Vb calibration, including lifting up of bridges enabling 3 layers of containers: — on the section Deinze-St-Baafs-Vijve by December 2026; — on the section St-Baafs-Vijve- Harelbeke by December 2028; — on the sections Harelbeke-Menen and Menen-Wervik by December 2030; (2) in the region of Wallonia (Belgium), on the municipality of Comines: securing the navigation, especially with the modernization of the weir and lock in Comines, by December 2030; (3) in France, between Deûlémont and Comines: upgrade to ECMT class Vb, by December 2025; (i) connecting network in Flanders: (1) studies for the upgrade of the Flemish inland waterway sections connecting directly to the Seine-Scheldt main link, by December 2024: — upgrade to ECMT class Va, enabling 3 layers of containers, of the connections to the maritime ports of Zeebrugge (canal Ghent – Bruges) and Antwerp (Upper-Seascheldt) by December 2024; — upgrade to ECMT class Va of the canals Roeselare-Lys and Bossuit-Kortrijk by December 2024; (2) drawing up of a technical and financial implementation plan, including a detailed priority assessment, for the necessary upgrades on the above sections, by December 2025; (j) Connecting network in Wallonia: from Péronnes to Pommeroeul, on the Nimy-Blaton-Péronnes Canal: conduct studies, in particular for the modernization to a fully-fledged ECMT class IV, by December 2030 and drawing up of a technical and financial implementation plan of the necessary modernisation, by December 2030; (k) Seneffe – Antwerp, (1) on the Flemish and Walloon sections: conduct studies, in particular for the upgrade to a fully-fledged ECMT class IV, by December 2024, and drawing up of a technical and financial implementation plan of the necessary upgrades, by December 2025; (2) on the Walloon section: — Modernisation and securisation of sites of the inclined plane of Ronquières and the lock of Ittre by December 2030 — the establishment of the remote control for the Ittre lock by December 2030; (l) general actions: (1) drawing up of a policy framework, coordinated between the different parties, to promote the full deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure along the whole Seine-Scheldt network, in line with the National Policy Frameworks submitted by Belgium and France in the context of Directive 2014/94/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council  ( 11 ) , by December 2024, with a view to gradual implementation by December 2030; (2) implementation of integrated and efficient cross-border traffic and transport management services along the whole Seine-Scheldt network, including the full-scale RIS implementation according to Directive 2005/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council  ( 12 ) , by December 2028; (3) development of multimodal logistics platforms on the Seine – Scheldt network, by December 2030.

Governance

Article 3

1.   The European Coordinator for the North Sea – Mediterranean Core Network Corridor and a representative of the European Commission shall be invited to participate as observer in the meetings of the supervisory board (conseil de surveillance) of the Société du canal Seine-Nord Europe. 2.   The progress of the actions referred to in Article 2 shall be regularly discussed in the framework of the Intergovernmental Commission for the preparation of the completion of the Seine – Scheldt project, as well as in the framework of the Seine – Scheldt EEIG. The European Coordinator for the North Sea –Mediterranean Core Network Corridor and a representative of the Commission shall be invited to participate as observers in the meetings of the Intergovernmental Commission at least biannually and in the meetings of the Seine – Scheldt EEIG at least three times a year.

Reporting

Article 4

Belgium and France shall report at least once a year to the Commission and to the European Coordinator for the North Sea – Mediterranean Core Network Corridor on the progress in implementing the actions referred to in Article 2 and shall notify any delay encountered, specifying the causes for the delay and indicating the corrective measures taken. For this purpose those Member States may use, when appropriate, the content of the Annual Status Reports to be submitted under the Connecting Europe Facility Grant Agreements.

Review

Article 5

By 31 December 2027 at the latest, the Commission shall, following a request from Belgium and France, or at its own initiative, carry out a review of the actions and of the timetable referred to in Article 2, with the assistance of the European Coordinator for the North Sea – Mediterranean Core Network Corridor.

Repeal

Article 6

Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1118 is repealed.

Article 7

This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Belgium and the French Republic.