Strasbourg, 10/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - Europe's 37,000 km of navigable waterways are to receive a second boost in order to attract freight and contribute to transport greening. European Commissioner for Transport Siim Kallas presented new measures on this in Strasbourg on Tuesday 10 September, including Naiades II, which is along the lines of the previous programme.
River barges are one of the most environmentally-friendly means of transport but, at present, this form of goods transport only accounts for 6% of the market. The Commission hopes the unused potential of waterways can be unleashed. However, to achieve that, “we need to help the waterway transport industry develop over the longer term into a high quality sector. We need to remove the bottlenecks holding it back and to invest in the skills of its workforce”, explained Kallas speaking while on board a barge accompanied by French Transport Minister Frédéric Cuvellier.
The Naiades II programme will ensure that a number of locks, bridges and navigation channels will be upgraded to avoid bottlenecks. Connecting Europe Facility and TEN-T funding will be available for the work of upgrading but also for improving connection between the Seine and the Scheldt river systems. The Commission also recommends better connection between canals and rivers with other modes of transport, especially rail, road and maritime transport.
Furthermore, the Commission is proposing to set new standards for the engines of river barges in order to make this mode of transport still more efficient. Finally, as the European commissioner regretted, the sector has suffered from a crucial lack of a skilled workforce although the sector could attract by its “romantic” aspect.
The Commission also hopes to attract qualified workers to European waterways by facilitating access to jobs and the mobility of the workforce. (MD/transl.jl)