Belgium’s new prime minister Elio di Rupo has upped the pressure on the Netherlands to flood a piece of land in the south of the country – in line with promises made several years ago.

Di Rupo, on his first official visit to The Hague, said the Belgian national government supported the Flemish regional authority in its campaign to make the Netherlands return the Hedwige polder to the sea, the Telegraaf reported.
Flooding the polder was part of an agreement signed between the two countries in 2008 for the deepening of the Westerschelde estuary to allow larger ships into Antwerp port.
Both countries agreed to flood reclaimed land to create new nature for that lost in the estuary through the dredging. The Dutch part of the polder is about the size of 650 football pitches.
Zeeland
However, the Dutch government faced fierce opposition from the Zeelanders, and after the June 2010 election, the new cabinet said the flooding would not go ahead. Farm minister Henk Blekers came up with two alternative sites, but neither Belgium, the European Commission or bird protection groups accept the revised plan.
Prime minister Mark Rutte told reporters the Netherlands will meet its obligations. ‘We always meet our international agreements, but we think we can do it in a different way than written in treaties,’ the Telegraaf quoted Rutte as saying.
The Westerschelde estuary is an important breeding ground for birds.
Photo: Bart Maat/Novum