Inland Navigation Europe (INE), the European Barge Union (EBU) and the European Skippers Organisation (ESO) have issued a joint statement in which they make it clear that the old ways of doing things will not continue to work. In order to maintain Europe’s competitiveness, new ways have to be explored. [more]

Inland Navigation Europe (INE), the European Barge Union (EBU) and the European Skippers Organisation (ESO) have issued a joint statement in which they make it clear that the old ways of doing things will not continue to work. In order to maintain Europe’s competitiveness, new ways have to be explored.

Europe’s inland waterways provide a ready built mechanism for low carbon and low energy freight transport that links Europe’s main economic centres. Revitalising existing waterways will provide a cost-efficient solution. At the recent transport forum in Leipzig, Commissioner Siim Kallas outlined a vision of a European transport system that is highly integrated, efficient, cross-modal, resilient and low-carbon. This vision can be easily achieved by fast-tracking an emphasis on increased use of inland waterway transport for European freight transport through effective integration with other ways of transport.
Improving waterway infrastructure and its links to other transport modalities is an efficient use of available resources because:

• The waterway transport system is a European core network. All major cities in Europe have waterways and rivers, which are the arteries of a living, breathing multi-functional human heart of consumption. These same waterways form links with major ports, helping to improve Europe’s global competitiveness.
• Developing waterway infrastructure offers excellent return on investment. A recent study showed that inland navigation managed to grow by 14.5 percent, despite low investment as compared to other modalities (NEA 2008).
• The waterway network is an existing network with free capacity – unlike other infrastructure, developing waterways does not require land-take, ensuring that transport can grow without further fragmenting the landscape.
• Inland waterway transport has the lowest external costs of all transport modalities – moving more goods on the waterways will make a substantial contribution to achieving the environmental and quality of life goals of the European Union.

Source: Inland Navigation Europe, Editorial: Caroline Smith

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On 9 July 2010 the European Parliament officially adopted a resolution prepared by Mathieu Grosch, Member of Parliament and Rapporteur of the Committee on Transport and Tourism. The report sets out the European Parliament’s main priorities for the upcoming White Paper on the future of transport policy of the European Commission which according to the Commission's Work Programme for 2010 will be published by the end of this year. [more]

On 9 July 2010 the European Parliament officially adopted a resolution prepared by Mathieu Grosch, Member of Parliament and Rapporteur of the Committee on Transport and Tourism. The report sets out the European Parliament’s main priorities for the upcoming White Paper on the future of transport policy of the European Commission which according to the Commission's Work Programme for 2010 will be published by the end of this year.

The key issue underlined in the report is that efficient co-modality must form the basis of Europe's future transport policy. To measure the efficiency of the interconnection of different modes of transport, not only economic aspects have to be taken into consideration, but also safety, environmental and social criteria. This is the only way to ensure a sustainable and competitive transport sector and at the same time remedy bottlenecks in the transport of passengers and goods.

The report gives a clear basis for the upcoming White Paper on the future of transport. The White Paper will outline the European transport policy until 2020. It will define the overall framework for actions in the next ten years in the fields of transport infrastructure, internal market legislation, decarbonisation of transport, technology for traffic management and clean vehicles, and the use of standardisation, market based instruments and incentives.

With regards to inland navigation, the resolution includes the specific priorities:
“The resolution underlines that efficient co-modality means improving infrastructure – among other things by developing green corridors, reducing bottlenecks and improving rail and waterway transport – and advancing safety through new technologies and improving working conditions.”

The report also points out that inland waterway transport is still confronted with a disparate institutional framework and requests the establishment of permanent and structured cooperation between the competent institutions in order to fully exploit the potential of this mode of transport.

The report calls for inland waterway transport infrastructure, inland ports and the multimodal linking of sea ports with the hinterland and rail connections to be given a greater role in European transport policy, as well as greater support, in order to help reduce the environmental impact and increase the safety of EU transport; considers that the environmental performance of inland waterway vessels can be radically improved if new engines equipped with the latest emission control technology are installed.

The resolution also includes two measurable targets regarding inland navigation, which shall be achieved by 2020:

• financial support for the optimisation, development and, where necessary, creation of multimodal connections (platforms) for inland waterway transport, inland ports and rail transport and a 20% increase in the number of such platforms;
• at least 10% of TEN-T funding to be dedicated to inland waterway projects.

For further information http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+REPORT+A7-2010-0189+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN

Source: European Parliament, Editorial: Simon Hartl, Andreas Bäck

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In 2009, a total volume of 9.3 million tons of goods were transported on the Austrian section of the Danube despite the economic crisis. This is the equivalent of 25,500 tons per day being moved in an environmentally-friendly, safe and quiet way within the Danube corridor. If these goods were transported on the road, an additional 1,000 lorries per day would use Austrian motorways, equalling a 70-kilometre queue of lorries travelling the distance between Vienna and Linz every day. [more]

In 2009, a total volume of 9.3 million tons of goods were transported on the Austrian section of the Danube despite the economic crisis. This is the equivalent of 25,500 tons per day being moved in an environmentally-friendly, safe and quiet way within the Danube corridor. If these goods were transported on the road, an additional 1,000 lorries per day would use Austrian motorways, equalling a 70-kilometre queue of lorries travelling the distance between Vienna and Linz every day.

Inland waterway transport is a reliable partner, as was revealed by the current Annual Report on Danube Navigation in Austria, which has been published for the third time by via donau. With waterway availability reaching a level of 98.5% or 347 days per year, more than 9 million tons of goods were transported on the Austrian Danube in the previous year. This is equivalent to a decline of about 17% over 2008. However, the second half of 2009 already showed a slight economic recovery.    

Danube navigation is not only economically indispensable for shippers; it is also unbeatable in terms of safety: not a single accident involving personal injury was recorded on the Danube in 2009. These and numerous other current facts and figures on the Danube waterway are included in the Annual Report on Danube Navigation in Austria, which is available in German and English.

Printed copies can be ordered at presse@via-donau.org.

An online version of the Annual Report is available at:
www.via-donau.org/en/knowledge/publications/brochures

Source: via donau, Editorial: via donau

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The port of Rotterdam reported that inland navigation took a larger share (33%, up from 30%) of the hinterland transport of containers in the crisis year 2009. The previous time such a large gain was recorded was in the previous century. Rail transport declined from 13% to 11% in 2009 and is back to the 2006 level. Road transport slipped slightly, from 57% to 56%. [more]

The port of Rotterdam reported that inland navigation took a larger share (33%, up from 30%) of the hinterland transport of containers in the crisis year 2009. The previous time such a large gain was recorded was in the previous century. Rail transport declined from 13% to 11% in 2009 and is back to the 2006 level. Road transport slipped slightly, from 57% to 56%.

The total volume of hinterland transport decreased by 12%, from 7.8 million TEU in 2008 to 6.9 million TEU in 2009. Rail transported 755,000 TEU, a drop of 25% compared to 1 million TEU in 2008. Barges moved 2.3 million TEU, 3% less than in 2008 (2.3 million TEU). Truck volumes sank by 14%, from 4.5 to 3.8 million TEU.

The explanation from the Port of Rotterdam is that rail was, or could not be, quick enough to adapt to the declining volumes caused by the crisis while inland waterway transport was able to be more flexible in its pricing – adapting to the surplus transport capacity. Inland waterways also benefitted from the elimination of restrictions in the handling capacity at the sea terminals. The road sector was relatively more exposed to the crisis because it has a high proportion, around 70%,in intra-European ('short sea') services. This was relatively hard hit by the economic downturn, especially in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain.

The Dutch government and the Port of Rotterdam pursue a policy aimed at decreasing the share of road haulage; accomplished through modal shift. Since 1993, the truck’s share has, according to the “old” method, declined from 66% to some 50%. In 1993 the total volume was 4.2 million and in 2009, 9.7 million TEU.

Source: www.transportjournal.com, www.portofrotterdam.com, Editorial: Simon Hartl

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The new International Safety Guide for Inland Navigation Tank-barges and Terminals (ISGINTT) was launched on 8 June in Brussels. Hosted by the Belgian delegation of the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR) ISGINTT was presented to experts from the inland navigation and oil sectors. To facilitate its use on European inland waterways, ISGINTT will also be published in Dutch, French and German. [more]

The new International Safety Guide for Inland Navigation Tank-barges and Terminals (ISGINTT) was launched on 8 June in Brussels. Hosted by the Belgian delegation of the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR) ISGINTT was presented to experts from the inland navigation and oil sectors. To facilitate its use on European inland waterways, ISGINTT will also be published in Dutch, French and German.

The purpose of ISGINTT is to improve the safe transport of dangerous goods at the interface of inland tank barges with other vessels or shore facilities (terminals). The intention is not to replace or to amend current legal requirements, but to provide additional recommendations. ISGINTT is the result of best practices as recommended by the participating organisations. ISGINTT guidance is compatible with existing international maritime guidance for sea going vessels.

ISGINTT was developed in a concerted activity by CCNR, OCIMF, CEFIC, EBU, ESO, ESPO, EUROPIA, FETSA, SIGTTO and their members. Since 2006 these organisations have shared expertise to produce an inland waterway specific safety guide for tank barges and terminals based on internationally respected publication “International Safety Guide for Oil Tankers and Terminals” (ISGOTT, 5th edition).

ISGINTT is currently just available in English. To facilitate its use on European inland waterways, ISGINTT will also be published in Dutch, French and German.

For further information www.isgintt.org

Source: Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine (CCNR), www.isgintt.org, Editorial: Simon Hartl

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