Zeeland Seaports and Ghent Port Company signed a merger agreement on Friday, 8 December, after all eight shareholders of both ports agreed with the merger in recent weeks. The name of the cross-border merger port will be North Sea Port.
This merger port represents the 60-kilometre-long cross-border port area of Flushing, Borsele and Terneuzen in the Netherlands up to Ghent in Belgium.
The Flemish Prime Minister Geert Bourgeois, the Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water management Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, the shareholders, directors, clients, and staff of both ports were present at the signing of the merger agreement, which took place on a ship that symbolically sailed from Ghent across the Dutch border in the direction of Terneuzen.
In early 2018, the European public limited liability company will be launched as holding of the two subsidiary companies Zeeland Seaports and Ghent Port Company for which, among others, a supervisory body will be established.
According to the newly-created North Sea Port, it immediately positions itself among the top of European sea ports: it is the number three in added value and the number ten in cargo transhipment. By the year 2022, North Sea Port wants to be a leading brand in the international port world.