The completion of dredging brings to an end a thorny question of relations between Flanders and the Netherlands. Very little of the channel consists of Belgian waters, and Dutch approval was required to deepen the major part, from the border all the way to the Breskens- Vlissingen crossing.

The Flemish government signed a treaty agreement with the Dutch, but a Dutch court suspended a plan to de-polderise parts of the land along the channel in Zeeland province, a plan opposed by some nature conservancy organisations. The issue gave rise to hard feelings, as it was seen by some as a move to hamper the ability of the port of Antwerp to compete with Rotterdam. Then the new Dutch government of Mark Rutte came into power and appeared to be on the verge of abandoning the whole treaty.

In the end, though, the work went ahead. Though the question of the polders is still to be solved. The dredging involved the removal of 7.7 million cubic metres of sand and cost €100 million, shared between the two governments.