The Transport Ministers of the EU Member States adopted conclusions on the further development of inland waterway transport in the EU (‘NAIADES III’) at a ‘Transport’ Council held on Monday 5 December.
Recognising the importance of inland waterway transport, the Council firstly emphasised the need to develop strategies to address the impact of inland waterway transport on the climate and the environment.
To achieve an efficient, safe and resilient sector, they stressed that fleets will need to be refurbished to better take into account emission reduction and decarbonisation.
The conclusions also emphasise the importance of “reliable, durable and continuously well-maintained infrastructure with adequate and economically feasible navigability, especially during low water periods”. These should also ensure intermodality and rapid connections with other modes of transport.
Furthermore, while this mode of transport can play an important role in relieving congestion in urban areas, the EU Council also believes that both infrastructure-related and administrative bottlenecks need to be addressed.
One part of the conclusions is dedicated to the topic of digitalisation in order to support the development of automation “while taking into account energy efficiency and easily recyclable equipment”.
Finally, the Council also supports the preparation and adoption of standards on technical requirements, qualification of crew and information technology by the European Committee for drawing up standards in the field of inland navigation (CESNI). These standards, according to the recommendation of ministers, should also lead to the development of technical standards for the use of alternative fuels, sustainable and emission-free technologies and automation. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)