2031

Purpose of the Convention is the improvement of the river connections between the Contracting Parties and the protection against flooding. In particular, it regulates the alterations on the common River Lys in order to permit navigation and to facilitate the draining of flood waters. Specific articles of the Convention concerns th e following: Description of works (art. 2); Carrying out alterations on the common River Lys (art. 3); Apportionment of the costs of carrying out of the works (art. 4); Settlement of claims (art. 5); Maintenance and servicing of works (art. 6); Customs and tax questions (art. 7); Rights of access (art. 8). A Franco-Belgian Commission, composed of representatives of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and the ministers in charge of navigable waterways, shall be established to monitor the work and ensure the proper implementation of the Convention (art. 9). The Contracting Parties shall take all appropriate action to protect the public and private interests concerned and to ensure that access to the new reach of the common River Lys is given to adjacent landowners (art. 10). Disputes concerning the interpretation or implementation of the Convention must be settled by negotiation. Any dispute which could not be settled by negotiation shall be submitted to an arbitration tribunal at the re quest of one of the Contracting States (arts. 11 and 12). The Convention is integrated by five Annexes: Description of works referred to in article 2, paragraph 1 (I); General Plan (II); Acquisitions, works and operations to be carried out by France under article 3, paragraph 1, of the Convention (III); Sharing of the costs of maintaining and operating Menin Lock as referred to in article 6, paragraph 3, of the Convention (IV); Arbitration (V).; FAO Descriptors: 110; 247; 208; 038; 2 41; 231; 207; 244; TFDD Basin: BAS-FAOC015195;