The EU-funded PLATINA3 project provides targeted coordination and support activities to promote inland waterway transport (IWT) in Europe, making the bridge towards future research, innovation and implementation needs within IWT in Europe. It started from January 2021, and will finish at the end of June 2023.
The final Stage Event took place in Brussels in March, all presentations and reports on the deliverables are now available on the Platina3 website.
The Inland Navigation Week 2023 (hybrid event) will take place from 20-24 March 2023 in Brussels and online.
Various sessions and workshops provide a better understanding of the role, contribution, and potential of Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) towards a greener, more resilient, and integrated transport system in Europe.
The events will allow you to explore the challenges and opportunities facing IWT and how innovative projects and policies can help to overcome these challenges, and will provide many opportunities to meet colleagues and discuss with stakeholders.
Programme
Monday 20 March 2023
Greening the fleet and Technology Matchmaking Workshop
Tuesday 21 March 2023
“Autonomous sailing” and “Resilience” clusters
Wednesday 22 March 2023
DIWA Workshop – Masterplan Digitalization of Inland Waterways (hybrid)
Thursday & Friday 23–24 March 2023
Platina3 Final Event (keynote speech by Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean)
Practical information:
Location
Federal Public Service – Mobility and Transport
Rue du Progrès, 56, BE 1210 Brussels
& online (MS Teams)
Registration (required)
The RIS COMEX project, which started 6 years ago, ended with concrete results: EuRIS, a cross-border one-stop-shop with river information services for users and CEERIS, an only-once reporting system for the Danube countries.
These two results and other were presented on 29 September 2022 in Berlin hosted by the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport .
INE members viadonau and De Vlaamse Waterweg demonstrated the EuRIS system which provides actual fairway, infrastructure, traffic and transport related information services including route and voyage planning, vessel positions and calculation of estimated times of arrival for authorised users serving as a one-stop-shop for the users. EuRIS covers the main waterways of 13 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia. Skippers and other users can at any time collect real-time information and gain insight in the actual traffic situation on their sailing route, waiting times, incidents or disruptions that affect the travel time. They can also share information with others, for example their ETA. This is offered in a protected environment, so that the privacy of all users is guaranteed. The countries will continue their partnership to further develop the platform in the upcoming years, considering the needs and demands of the users.
viadonau also gave a life demonstration of the common electronic reporting system called CEERIS which is on its way to enable reporting-only-once with single entering of data for all IWT related reporting requirements along 8 countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia. CEERIS will therefore significantly contribute to a reduction of the administrative barriers and reporting burdens within Inland Navigation. A further extension of CEERIS as well as full integration with other systems is foreseen in order gain even more benefits for the users who are the Reporting Parties (Skippers, Fleet Managers) and the related national Receiving Authorities.
The PLATINA3 – 5th Stage Event will take place on 19 & 20 October 2022 in Budapest, the hybrid event will be hosted by the Danube Commission with English as working language.
It will provide a unique opportunity to join the PLATINA3 community to exchange ideas, learn more about the latest developments and upcoming challenges and contribute to shaping policy of Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) in Europe.
IWT policy makers of different horizons, professionals from demand and supply side, interested NGOs, research and academic experts as well as other IWT sector representatives, will discuss the following themes:
- Standards for competence related to the use of zero or low emission propulsion systems and for refresher classes for environmentally friendly vessel operation;
- Roadmap for on board systems allowing automation of inland navigation vessels, vision on board systems and autonomous navigation, and competencies needed to operate them;
- Alternative energy infrastructure along the waterway and in ports;
- Consolidated R&D roadmap and implementation plan for IWT.
The official programme of the sessions will be available soon, but registration for the event is open.
Waterway authorities continue to work on fit-for-future infrastructure covering the physical, digital and green energy network. We all witnessed the effects of climate change playing out on top of climate variability. Prolonged droughts and flash floods have dominated news headlines. At that time, the role of inland waterway transport becomes visible. In the background, waterway authorities work together with partners on climate adaptation. Measures are taken step-by-step to increase preparedness while uncertainties remain. INE advocates a coherent policy framework to prepare and support effective actions.
POLIS organises a “Waterways and urban logistics: How can regulations better interconnect the modes?” workshop on 4 July in Brussels, at their headquarters (Rue du Trône 98, 1050 Brussels), part of the dissemination activities promoted by the EU-funded project “Smart Track 4 Waterway (ST4W)”.
Bringing goods in dense urban areas via inland waterway transport is an opportunity to reduce urban congestion and emissions, however, urban planning, delivery hours and other regulations must be adapted.
This workshop is primarily addressed to cities and administrations that would like to learn and share successes and challenges and to develop strategies that better interconnect urban multi- modal logistics.
Interested to attend the workshop? Click on the following link, by Thursday 23 June EOB.
The agenda will be circulated soon. Speakers from the EU Commission DG MOVE, Brussels Environment, MULTITEL and other relevant stakeholders will join the discussion.
INE overall welcomes the proposal for regulation.
- With regard to inland waterways, the proposal takes into account to a large extent the needs of waterway authorities to help create a reliable and resilient network.
- Whereas the current guidelines are more focused on increasing capacity, INE welcomes the fact that this proposal enables to improve the quality and performance of the network as well.
- INE also welcomes the new approach by the Commission to define infrastructure requirements:
- The chosen term ‘navigable channel depth’ is an objective infrastructure parameter which can be monitored, while the current guidelines refer to the ECMT resolution which uses vessel parameters such as ‘draught’ which depend on the type of vessels and their load factor;
- The reference water levels on the basis of the number of days provide the possibility to take account of the hydro-morphology of waterways.
However, INE recommends to clarify and improve Section 2 on Inland waterway transport infrastructure with regard to the terminology and the procedures.
With regard to the terminology, INE has two proposals
1. The term ‘Good Navigation Status’ (art. 22.2) should not only cover the protection and the non-deterioration of the minimum infrastructure requirements and levels of services (art. 22.3(a)). The notion of Good Navigation Status should also cover the protection and the non-deterioration of the current status of the waterway network which may be higher than the minimum requirements and levels of services proposed in the legislation. The current status of the waterway network should not be left to deteriorate but be appropriately maintained.
2. The term ‘river basin’ building on the definition of the water framework directive is in our opinion not the right way forward in TEN-T and its transport corridors. On the one hand, river basins are broader and contain non-navigable sections. On the other hand, for transport, certain waterways/waterway sections located in one river basin are linked up to waterways/waterway sections located in other river basins. Moreover, canals cannot always be unequivocally allocated to a single river basin. We therefore propose that minimum requirements and levels of service (art. 22.3) and complementary minimum requirements (art. 22.5) as well as eventual exemptions (art. 22.4) are set out per European Transport Corridor. The corridor method allows a coherent approach across borders which fits into the TEN-T logic, whereby the European Transport Corridors enable Member States to achieve a coordinated and synchronised approach with regard to investment in infrastructure.
With regard to the procedures, we propose a corridor approach which allows an economic and coherent use of implementing acts. The current formulation in article 22 of the proposal for regulation could lead to 3 or more implementing act per river basin, ie one for the minimum infrastructure requirements (art. 22.3(a)), one or more for eventual exemptions (art. 22.4) and one for the complementing minimum requirements (art. 22.5). This would involve a serious administrative overload for all public stakeholders involved.
We propose the following corridor approach for the implementing acts with regard to waterways:
- Per European Transport Corridor, there is one implementing act pursuant to art. 54(1) covering the rivers, canals and lakes in its geographic catchment area that enable at least the navigation of vessels with a length of 80-85m and a width of 9.5m.
- This implementing act sets out he minimum infrastructure requirements and levels of services (art. 22.3(a)), eventual exemptions (art. 22.4) and the complementary minimum requirements (art. 22.5).
- The work for inland waterways becomes part of the work plans as proposed in article 53 and a revision could take place every four years in that framework when appropriate:
In general, we would welcome an enhanced role of the coordinators to ensure a coherent planning and investment approach in the European Transport Corridors.
The European Commission adopted the Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1118 on the Seine – Scheldt cross-border project, part of the North Sea – Mediterranean and Atlantic Core Network Corridors in June 2019.
The signature of this implementing act reinforces the commitment of the European Commission, in agreement with the European Parliament and the Council, with the involved Member States, for the creation of the Seine-Scheldt link.
This new step forward secures the financing of the Seine-Nord Europe canal, the central link of the future network, over and above the commitments already made up to 2022.
The European Union already provides significant financial support to the Seine-Scheldt project through the Seine-Scheldt 2014-2020 financing agreement, which is part of the European Interconnection Facility (EIM), and linking the French Republic, the Flemish and Walloon Regions of Belgium and the European Agency for Infrastructure Networks (INEA). It amounts to 50% of the cost of the studies and 40% of the works.
The EU will now be able to finance up to 50% of the cost of the works The Seine-Scheldt network (1100 km long) includes the construction of the Seine-Nord Europe canal, an essential link to connect the large gauge network of Île-de-France and the ports of Rouen and Le Havre to Northern Europe and the ports of Dunkirk. It will be a powerful factor of economic development and jobs.
The Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe, brings together the French national and local authorities and is in charge of carrying out the Seine Nord Europe Canal project.
The 5th edition of Danube Business Talks, the business platform for Danube navigation, takes place on 12 and 13 October 2022 in Linz.
This year’s motto: Green Deal – Green Danube : The climate friendly transport axis.
- How can inland navigation contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the European transport sector?
- Which climate friendly propulsion technologies and fuels will play an important role in inland navigation in the future?
- The shift of high & heavy transports to the Danube will be examined in more detail
- Sustainable travelling will be the focus with regard to passenger shipping.
Danube Business Talks offer private and public stakeholders an opportunity for targeted networking and knowledge exchange on economic impulses and innovations in the field of Danube navigation. The climate and environmental protection goals of the Austrian Federal Government provide a favourable framework for the development of cross-border solutions to strengthen the Danube transport axis in the European transport network.
In addition to the international exchange between companies, public authorities and political decision makers, the B2B platform Danube Business Dating will provide once again opportunities for establishing new business contacts.
The agenda and speakers’ list are available. “Danube Dialogue” on day 1 can be joined via livestream – no other programme items will be broadcast.
Register here. Participation is free of charge, but registration for both physical and online participation is mandatory.
The Connecting Europe Days – formerly known as TEN-T Days – will be organised from 28-30 June 2022 in Lyon together with the French Presidency of the Council of the EU.
They will bring together politicians, industry representatives and the European Commission to discuss transport and mobility, and their role in achieving the ambitious goals set out in the European Green Deal and the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy.
Participants will see state-of-the art innovations first-hand at an exhibition of EU-funded projects, demonstrations of alternative mobility vehicles and automated transport.
The following dedicated events for inland waterways & ports will take place:
- Evening ship cruise on 28 June, with visit to port of Lyon
- Ministerial Danube meeting on 29 June, on an electric vessel
- Lunch cruise onboard an electric barge on the Rhône on 29 June
Register here.
The Urban Mobility Days 2022 will be held on 20-22 September in the city of Brno, Czech Republic and jointly organised by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Mobility & Transport (DG MOVE) and the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU.
This year’s theme is ‘Moving people and goods more sustainably’. Cities face critical challenges on the path to sustainable mobility, yet they also hold the keys to action. More than 70% of Europeans live in cities, and urban areas account for around 23% of the EU’s GHG transport emissions. At the same time, European cities are home to some of the most innovative and bold solutions for both passenger and freight transit.
For more information, visit the website.
