Joint Nautical Management
The Joint Nautical Management (GNB) is a partnership between the Netherlands and Flanders to regulate and supervise shipping traffic in the Scheldt area. The cooperation between the two regions dates back to 1839 and was formally established in 2005 in the GNB agreement:[1], concluded between Rijkswaterstaat and the Flemish government[2]. The GNB strives for a uniform nautical regime for the entire area. To this end, it takes into account the entire shipping chain: a ship's journey is considered a single coherent process, in which departure and arrival are coordinated to ensure smooth and uninterrupted passage
The main tasks of the GNB are:
- communicating with partners, waterway users and the general public;
- collaborating with partners and waterway users;
- organising and optimising waterway use.
Area of Operation
The GNB's area of operation covers both the Netherlands and Flanders and includes the following waterways[3][4]:
- the approach routes to the Western Scheldt
- the Western Scheldt
- the Lower Sea Scheldt
- the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal
All vessels within this area fall under the jurisdiction of the GNB. This includes both Dutch vessels (en route to Dutch ports) and vessels sailing on the Scheldt (en route to Flemish ports), as well as commercial and recreational vessels.
Organisation
Chain partners
Various chain partners are active within the GNB. They are represented at multiple levels and include[5]
- the ports of Antwerp and North Sea Port
- tugboat services
- locks
- boatmen
- pilotage services
- Dutch and Flemish government agencies
Permanent Committee
The Permanent Committee is the highest policy-making body within the GNB[6]. It consists of two Dutch and two Flemish senior civil servants and is responsible for strategic policy. The committee deals with issues such as innovation in shipping, dynamic keel clearance and wave action on the Western Scheldt.
Joint Nautical Authority
Dutch and Flemish civil servants work together in the Joint Nautical Authority (GNA[7]). The GNA is (jointly) responsible for:
- admission policy
- waterway management
- pilotage
- navigation information
- shipping planning, including through the coordination of port planning
Management and Operation Team
The Dutch-Flemish Management and Operations Team (BET) is responsible for technical and operational support[8]. The BET:
- manages and maintains all radars along the Scheldt and the North Sea, and all associated applications and installations
- manages and maintains buildings and radar towers and supervises new construction, renovations and modifications
- is responsible for the operational, functional and technical management of the Scheldt radar chain
Vessel Traffic Services
The Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) supervise shipping within the GNB area[9]. They operate from traffic control centres, bridges, locks and vessels belonging to Rijkswaterstaat.
The GNB has more than 50 unmanned radar towers and six manned control centres:
- The Netherlands: Vlissingen, Terneuzen and Hansweert
- Flanders: Zeebrugge, Zelzate and Zandvliet
Investments and innovation
The GNB is investing in the expansion and modernisation of shipping guidance.
Examples include:
- the expansion of the Scheldt radar chain, replacing outdated radars and building new installations
- the commissioning of a new HF radar along the Western Scheldt on 12 October 2022, which will provide better mapping of a risk zone
- the expansion of VTS coverage to the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal from 1 December 2025
References
- ↑ "GNB-verdrag". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Common Nautical Management". www.agentschapmdk.be. Archived from the original on 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
- ↑ "Dataregister". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "GNB Beleid". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Nautische keten". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "GNB - Permanent Committee". www.gemeenschappelijknautischbeheer.net. Archived from the original on 2024-09-24. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
- ↑ "GNB - Gemeenschappelijke Nautische Autoriteit". www.gemeenschappelijknautischbeheer.net. Archived from the original on 2024-12-13. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
- ↑ "Over ons BET". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "VTS". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help)
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