Waterway infrastructure
Fit-for-future infrastructure
Without reliable waterway infrastructure, there is no future for transport over water. Waterway authorities work towards optimising the waterway network across borders into a seamless, safe and sustainable link in an all-in-one multimodal network, so customers can choose an optimal mobility and logistics mix. The focus goes beyond waterways and requires good connections to other modes for physical, digital and green energy infrastructure. But it doesn’t stop there. Waterway authorities provide space to entrepreneurship and jobs on and along the water.
Waterway authorities play an important role in the management of water and its critical infrastructure, natural habitats, energy generation, water supply, flood defence and recreation. Working towards fit-for-future infrastructure requires integrated management of our waterways with strong links to EU policies for biodiversity, climate change adaptation, safety and security, industrial and circular economy, energy and digitalisation. Cross-sectoral waterway investment achieving co-benefits demands more flexibility of EU programmes. The advantage is that we contribute to multiple EU policy goals and increase the EU added value, providing a better return on public investment for our economy, environment and society.
Quality, performance and resilience for more reliability
It is waterway authorities’ aim to improve capacity where necessary, but above all quality, performance and safety to guarantee reliability, resilience and predictability of the network. Quality requires a life cycle approach to anticipate to and recover from disruptions and transform, extend the life of existing infrastructure by renovation and innovation. Digital support tools and automation are increasingly important to inform users and optimise the management of the network.
The aim is to create a flexible network of physical, digital and renewable energy refueling infrastructure of high quality.
What are trans-European networks (TENs) and why are they important?
- They aim at developing EU cross-border networks in the areas of transport, telecommunications and energy to support the EU internal market, reinforce economic and social cohesion, and ultimately connect Europe.
- The EU policy for trans-European for transport (TEN-T) aims at removing infrastructure bottlenecks by supporting investments in building new transport infrastructure or rehabilitating and upgrading the current one, including waterways, with 9 corridors as backbone.
The revision of TEN-T: non-deterioration and reliability
The new TEN-T regulation provides a framework for the development of sustainable and climate change resilient waterway infrastructure. It takes better account of the needs of waterway authorities to help create a reliable and resilient network, by focusing on infrastructure instead of vessel parameters. The regulation also takes account of the hydro-morphology of rivers and introduces a life cycle approach to avoid a lack of maintenance leads to new bottlenecks.
Member states must ensure the good navigation status of waterways by respecting minimum infrastructure requirements and service levels which will be specified in detail by implementing act per corridor. The new regulation also contains a non-deterioration principle. Member States have to prevent the deterioration of the minimum requirements and prevent the deterioration of the current status of those parts of the network that already exceed those minimum requirements.
The deadline to achieve the core network for inland waterways is 31 December 2030.
Milestones for the completion of the TEN-T network
- By 2030 – completion of the core TEN-T network at existing TEN-T standards
- By 2040 – completion of the extended core network according to the new standards to accelerate network completion in view of reaching the EU climate ambitions by 2050.
- By 2050 – completion of the entire Trans-European Transport Network, including the comprehensive network.
