The Scheldt river, on the Antoing side, in Belgium.

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  • Two Belgian and French natural parks jointly lodged a complaint against X on Monday following the episodes of pollution of the Escaut River, observed in April.

  • Thousands of fish had been found dead in several rivers near Cambrai, in the north.

  • At the time, the Belgian authorities criticized their French counterparts for not having informed them of the pollution episode.

Water knows no frontiers.

The Scarpe-Escaut Regional Natural Park, in the North, and that of the Plains of the Scheldt, in Belgium, jointly lodged a complaint against X on Monday, following the episodes of pollution of the River Escaut, noted in April.

Thousands of fish had been found dead in several rivers near Cambrai, in the north.

After the opening of a judicial investigation, environmental inspectors from the French Office for Biodiversity had determined that an industrial incident at the Tereos d'Escaudeuvre sugar refinery, on the night of April 9 to 10, was at the origin of this pollution.

First cross-border joint legal action

For the two natural parks, it is difficult today to quantify the damage to the natural environment.

"We have filed a complaint to have access to the judicial file and seek remedial solutions", explains a spokesperson for the two natural pacs, specifying that this is the first time that "a joint cross-border legal action" has been launched.

Because at the time, the crisis management was not optimal.

The prefecture of the North had been accused of "negligence" by the authorities of the Belgian region of Wallonia.

No pollution alert had been reported from across the border.

“This pollution which hits the Scheldt, a cross-border river, shows us once again our need to work together, not only on a daily basis as our two Parks have been doing for thirty years, but also in the context of a crisis like this one. This is to improve the efficiency of the alert and intervention chain on both sides of the border, ”emphasizes Pierre Wacquier, president of the Plains of the Scheldt Natural Park.

Kingfishers, eels, bats ...

Because these territories, Belgian and French, welcome a still rich biodiversity, like kingfishers, eels and bats.

“In reality, it is an entire ecosystem that suffers from this accidental pollution.

We also fear repercussions on populations of piscivorous birds, ”worries Grégory Lelong, president of the Scarpe-Escaut Regional Nature Park, in a press release.

The two Nature Parks therefore wish "to be strongly consulted in the implementation of measures aimed at restoring the natural environments of the Scheldt".

"We will not be satisfied with a simple stocking", declare Grégory Lelong and Pierre Wacquier.

A first meeting with the prefecture of the North and the industrial Tereos is scheduled for December 4.

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  • Justice

  • Lille

  • Pollution

  • Belgium

  • Water