Flanders and France have made an agreement on how to deal with future floods in the border region of De Moeren. Flemish minister-president Matthias Diependaele signed the agreement in Lille on Monday.
De Moeren – called Les Moëres in French – is a vast area between Veurne in Flanders and Dunkirk in France, which was drained in the 17th century. It lies about four metres below sea level, which regularly causes flooding. This was also the case in November 2023 and the spring of 2024, with Flanders and France acting together without a legal basis.
That necessary legal basis is now established. After all, infrastructure in both Flanders and France is used for rapid drainage. At the Speievaart in Veurne, for instance, there is an emergency pumping station, which can pump water from the Binnen Moeren to the Nieuwpoort-Dunkirk canal. In Dunkirk, there is a slide structure, which allows additional discharge to the Canal Exutoire.
The new agreement sets out how the infrastructure will be managed and maintained. In the event of an emergency, agreements will automatically take effect. The agreement was signed on Monday by Flemish minister-president Matthias Diependaele and French minister for Europe and foreign affairs Jean-Noël Barrot.
