Severe setback for Port of Antwerp

Dutch Council of State suspends implementation permits for deepening Scheldt

Last Tuesday the Council of State in the Netherlands suspended the routing decree and one of the implementation permits for deepening the in the Western Scheldt. The project covers deepening of the navigation channel at 12 shallow points that are currently not deep enough for the largest ships. For the second-largest port in Europe, providing 180,000 direct and indirect jobs, which has long pleaded for deepening, this means the tide-independent navigation for ships with a draft of up to around 13 metres retreats into the far distance.

Based on the concept of “good neighbourliness“ between Belgium and the Netherlands there had been an aim to cooperate in a long-term development of the Scheldt. After the moment of the first "spade in the ground" was repeatedly put back, the so-called Scheldt Treaties were ceremonially signed on 20 December 2005.

Quelle: Österreichische Verkehrszeitung

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