Brussels, 01/10/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 1 October, the European Commission launched its project to implement more efficiently actions and measures promoting inland waterway transport. The "PLATINA" project will provide technical and organisational assistance for helping to implement the European inland navigation programme NAIADES. The project currently brings together 22 regional and national partners from 9 European countries (Austria, Finland, France, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Romania, Croatia and Hungary). In the coming year, the platform will organise expert meetings and working groups, and carry out studies on how to better implement selected actions. For the coming year, PLATINA foresees actions such as setting up a single portal for online inland navigation information services and an inland navigation education network, and giving technical support for the further development of River Information Services. The project is funded with EUR 8.5 million from the Commission as part of the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. On Wednesday, the Commission also presented a guide on inland waterway funding opportunities and the results of a study on obstacles to this means of transport. For more information: (http://www.naiades.info ) (A.By/transl.rh)