Dutch and Belgian officials moved the border between their countries on Wednesday, with the Netherlands ceding eight acres along the Meuse River to Belgium, which will gain 40 acres of territory. Image courtesy of Belgian Foreign Ministry/Twitter

Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Belgium and the Netherlands peacefully altered their national borders by swapping 48 acres of land along a river dividing the two countries.

Effective this week, the official border is the center of the Meuse River. While that border was established in 1843, shifting of the river left adjacent land difficult to police. Two uninhabited Belgian peninsulas on the river ended up on the Dutch side, and a section of Dutch territory became a part of Belgium.

The area of interest is east of Vise, Belgium, and west of Eijsden, Netherlands. The trade of territory was agreed upon in November. The Netherlands gains 40 acres of territory, while ceding eight acres to Belgium. While the deal was effective Monday, a formal ceremony at the border occurred on Wednesday.

Because Belgian authorities required Dutch permission to travel to one of the peninsulas, it became accessible to them only by boat. The land developed a reputation for drug deals, prostitution and illegal rave parties. Four years ago a headless torso was found on the land. Dutch police could not investigate a crime committed on Belgian territory, and Belgian officials ferried prosecutors, crime laboratories and investigators to the peninsula, which has no docking provision for boats.

The Netherlands will now control the peninsulas. Belgium's newly-gained territory includes scenic nature parks.

"The process has been carried out in harmony and with respect for one another. Diplomacy at its best," said Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders.</s>Flemish diplomacy and a meandering river have merged to settle a borderline problem between Belgium and Holland.

But it has taken a land-swap, a little bit of lawlessness and the rather shocking discovery of a headless corpse to reach an agreement.

On New Year’s Day, the border between the eastern Belgian region of Vise and the southwestern Dutch municipality of Eijsden was moved back to its historic location – the middle of the River Meuse.

Over time, the river’s changing course meant two uninhabited parcels of Belgian land ended up on the Dutch side while a section of Dutch territory found itself effectively in Belgium.

But a peaceful 48-acre land-swap, equivalent to 27 football fields, has been reached, more than 170 years after the border was first agreed in 1843.

One strip of land had proved almost impossible for Belgium to police. Despite both being signatories to the EU’s passport-free Schengen Zone, Belgium needed special permission to travel through Dutch territory, so its police were forced to approach it by boat.

The enclave was reportedly popular for illegal raves, drug deals and prostitution. Four years ago, a headless body was discovered on the peninsula and reported to Dutch police.

The Dutch could not investigate on Belgian territory, while the Belgian police had to ferry prosecutors, labs and investigators there – with nowhere to berth. The land swap has therefore been hailed as a triumph of diplomacy.

The Dutch will now police the land with their newly acquired nature parks, while Belgium is just happy the jurisdictionary headache is over.

“Diplomacy at its best,” said Didier Reynders, Belgium’s foreign minister.
Belgium and the Netherlands, by swapping 48 acres of land, agree that one section of their border is now the center of the Meuse River. This is expected to fix a police jurisdiction problem.