Brussels, 04/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - NAIADES, the European scheme for the promotion of inland waterway transport, comes to an end in 2013. The European Commission has confirmed in a working paper that the programme will continue in 2014 with NAIADES II and redefines its priorities. As the advantages of inland navigation compared with land transport dwindle, with the road sector doing everything it can to reduce its emissions, the Commission wants to reverse the trend. A busy schedule lies ahead, before 2014.
Under-exploited performances. The Commission is still counting hugely on inland waterways to reduce carbon emissions from transport (which have to be reduced by 60% by 2050 according to the White Paper). Although the current network of canals and rivers is relatively modest - 37,000 km over 20 countries - it can carry huge volumes of goods and could be used to lighten road or rail traffic where they are most intensive. Furthermore, inland waterway transport remains the most efficient form of transport in terms of energy and the climate. However, despite initial forecasts, inland navigation is losing out to rail and road transport and is also beginning to lose its environmental advantage as lorry engines become ever cleaner. The Commission refuses to throw in the sponge and intends to review the aims of the NAIADES programme and exploit the potential of inland waterways' sustainable performances.
Working paper prior to communication. In a working paper published on 31 May, the European Commission lays the bases for a review of the priorities of the NAIADES programme, so that its successor, NAIADES II, can better guide European action from 2014. These first foundations of the review provide for a communication and a legislative package to be brought forward for adoption in 2013. The Commission intention is that stakeholders will be heavily involved in the preparation of the communication and legislative package. At this point, the working paper identifies concrete preparatory action to be begun in five areas - infrastructure, employment, renewing the fleet, sharing information on navigation and introducing trade incentives - action which forms possible measures for NAIADES II to develop.
Plethora of initiatives in 2012-2013. In terms of the timetable, the Commission hopes this year to set up expert groups on reducing CO2 emissions from inland navigation and professional training, and a river information services platform. By the end of the year, a strategic framework for research and innovation is expected to be published, followed by a communication on NAIADES II in 2013 and a legislative package. Next year, the Commission may even propose emissions limits for inland navigation engines and a review of river information services. It will also undertake an impact study and a consultation process on the use of infrastructure charging to help achieving internalisation of external costs in inland waterway transport.
Funding. The paper is less forthcoming on funding, not suggesting any figures. The inland navigation budget will come from a combination of the various European financial instruments, and very substantially from those devolved to the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) and the Connecting Europe Facility. (MD/transl.rt)