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Dutch pledge on Westerschelde dredging
The Netherlands will meet its treaty obligations to the Flemish region of Belgium and dredge the sea lane to the port of Antwerp, the Dutch prime minister has confirmed.According to a report in the Handelsblad newspaper, the delay in dredging work in the Westerschelde, the main point of entry for the port of Antwerp, had angered the Flemish region of Belgium.
Flemish prime minister Kris Peeters recently summoned the Dutch ambassador, and the Flemish liberal party called for a boycott of Dutch mussels. The Netherlands and Belgium agreed in 2005 to dredge the Westerschelde to allow container ships with a draft of up to 13.1m to reach the port of Antwerp.
However, last July the Netherlands’ council of state ordered the work on the Dutch side halted after environmental groups filed a complaint saying the dredging would damage the natural environment.
Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende said the Netherlands has ‘every intention of meeting its obligations.’
