Department of Public Works opinion

"Together with the New Waterway Storm Surge Barrier and a limited dike-strengthening program, the Europort Barrier forms the final piece of the Delta Project, protecting South Holland against the sea. In determining the position of the barrier all the various interests have been weighed as carefully as possible. The Department of Public Works and Water Management is always required to reconcile maximum individual legal certainty and the public interest. Decisions therefore take time and cost money. An Open Beer Dam benefits inland shipping. Not all the firms in the Europort and Botlek, however, stand to benefit directly but will find themselves affected by construction activities. Partly for this reason compensation arrangements have been drawn up for them."