Brussels, 06/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - MEPs appreciate the support given by the European Commission to inland waterway transport - especially through the renewal of the NAIADES programme, which aims to develop waterway transport until 2020. In a resolution adopted on Thursday 6 February by 428 votes to 46, with 11 abstentions, MEPs nevertheless regret that the financing for NAIDES II has been reviewed downwards. In order to compensate, they call on the Commission to establish a roadmap describing the resources assigned to the programme and setting attainable objectives for the short and medium term. They also suggest that the Connecting Europe Facility might support the waterways projects. Lastly, they call on the member states to work on national strategies to stimulate waterway transport and the regular maintenance of waterways to ensure their quality and reliability. (MD/transl.fl)