
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.
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 2027, and rehabilitation of the secondary locks (Coudray, Vives-Eaux, La Cave, Champagne), by December 2023;
— establishment of the remote control of the locks and weirs, by December 2024;
— improvement of the facilities for navigation and services to the users, by December 2027;
((b)) Seine-Aval, from Suresnes to Le Havre: upgrades and improvement of the navigation conditions, by December 2027

— lengthening and rehabilitation of the locks (such as Méricourt and Bougival), by December 2026;
— modernisation of the weirs (Port-Mort, Poses, Méricourt, Bougival, Suresnes, Andrésy), by December 2027, including the reinforcement of the embankment of Croissy-sur-Seine by December 2022;
— establishment of the remote control of the locks and weirs, by December 2024;
— improvement of the facilities for navigation and services to the users, by December 2027;
— construction of the footbridge of Poses-Amfreville, by December 2022 and construction of fish passes, by December 2030;
((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 (MAGEO: bank rescues and bridge piers between Creil and Compiègne, dredging, creation of the Venette landing stage), by June 2027;
— reconstruction of the bridge of Mours, by December 2025;
— establishment of the remote control of the locks and weirs, by December 2028;
((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 2028

((1)) sector 1 from Compiegne to Passel, including the construction of the lock of Montmacq:

— spatial territorial planning by September 2020;
— single environmental authorisation by September 2020;
— start of the main works by October 2020;
— completion of the works by December 2026;
— entry into operation by June 2027;
((2)) sector 2 from Passel to Allaines (49 km) crossing 33 municipalities, Sector 3 from Allaines to Etricourt-Manancourt (11 km) crossing 3 municipalities and Sector 4 from Etricourt-Manancourt to Aubencheul-au-Bac (30 km) crossing 11 municipalities, including the construction of the locks of Noyon, Campagne, Allaines, Marquion-Bourlon, Oisy-Le-Verger and Moislains (the junction lock with the Canal du Nord), of the storage basin of Louette and of the canal bridge (pont-canal) of 1,33 km crossing the Somme Valley:

— spatial territorial planning by December 2022;
— single environmental authorisation by October 2022;
— start of the main works by December 2023;
— completion of the works by June 2028;
— entry into operation by December 2028;
((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: upgrade to ECMT class Va (bidirectional) and class Vb (unidirectional), and improvement of the navigation conditions, by December 2027

((1)) on all sections:

— studies to increase the capacity of the locks (by doubling and/or lengthening), by December 2023;
— establishment of the remote control of the locks, by December 2025;
— securing of the navigation conditions for ECMT class V vessels, by December 2027;
((2)) section from Arleux to Anzin: modernisation and rehabilitation of the Denain lock, by December 2022;
((3)) section from Arleux to Halluin:

— upgrade of the Deûle to ECMT class Va (bidirectional) and class Vb (unidirectional), by December 2022;
— modernisation and rehabilitation of the locks (including Don and Grand-Carré), by December 2020, and lengthening of the Quesnoy-sur-Deûle lock, by December 2026;
((4)) 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 2023;
— modernisation and rehabilitation of the Fontinettes lock, by December 2019;
((f)) canal Condé-Pommerœul: reopening with ECMT class Va, by December 2022;
((g)) Walloon Backbone, from Pommerœul to Namur: upgrade to ECMT class Va, by December 2028

((1)) Pommerœul to Seneffe: upgrade to ECMT class Va, including the adaptation of the Nimy-Blaton-Péronnes canal and duplication of the Obourg lock, with finalisation of the studies by December 2022 and completion of the works by December 2027;
((2)) Seneffe to Charleroi: upgrade to ECMT class Va and duplication of the locks (Marchienne, Gosselies and Viesville), with preparatory works by December 2022 and completion by December 2027;
((3)) Charleroi to Namur:

— adaptation of the Auvelais lock, by December 2022;
— improvement of crossing possibilities, with studies to be finalised by December 2022 and works by 2028;
((h)) Upper Scheldt:

((1)) in the region of Wallonia (Belgium):

— upgrade to ECMT class Va, including adaptation of the Tournai crossing to an unidirectional Va and adjustment of the ‘Pont des Trous’ and ‘Pont-à-Pont’, by December 2022;
— capacity increase and securing of the lock sites, through the adaptation of the locks of Hérinnes and Kain, with finalisation of the studies by December 2023 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 December 2022, and drawing up of a technical and financial implementation plan by December 2023;
((i)) Lys: upgrade to ECMT class Vb (unidirectional) and Va (bidirectional), enabling 3 layers of containers, by December 2027, including:

((1)) in the region of Flanders (Belgium), between Ghent and Wervik:

— all the locks adapted to ECMT class Vb, including the locks in St-Baafs-Vijve and in Harelbeke, by December 2021;
— ECMT class Vb calibration, including lifting up of bridges enabling 3 layers of containers, by December 2022 on the Lys diversion canal, and by December 2027 on the remaining sections;
((2)) in the region of Wallonia (Belgium), on the municipality of Comines: upgrade to ECMT class Vb, including the crossing of Comines, by December 2027, and securing of the navigation, especially with the replacement of the weir in Comines, by December 2030;
((3)) in France, between Deûlémont and Comines: upgrade to ECMT class Vb, by December 2024;
((j)) 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 2022:

— 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);
— upgrade to ECMT class Va of the canals Roeselare-Lys and Bossuit-Kortrijk;
((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 2023;
((k)) Seneffe – Antwerp, on the Flemish and Walloon sections: conduct studies, in particular for the upgrade to a fully-fledged ECMT class IV, by December 2022, and drawing up of a technical and financial implementation plan of the necessary upgrades, by December 2023;
((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, by December 2022, 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, by December 2028;
((3)) development of multimodal logistics platforms on the Seine – Scheldt network, by December 2028.
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.
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.
Article 5 
By 31 December 2023 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.
Article 6 
This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Belgium and the French Republic.
Done at Brussels, 27 June 2019.
For the Commission
Violeta BULC
Member of the Commission