10 September 2013
Today, the European Commission adopted the NAIADES II package "Towards quality inland waterway transport".
The package intends to realise the unused potential of Europe's 37,000 km of inland waterways and to enable freight to move more easily and lead to further greening of the sector. Furthermore, it aims at encouraging innovation and improving job opportunities. The package comprises a NAIADES II Communication, a Commission staff working document, a proposal for a Directive and a proposal for a Regulation.
The NAIADES II Communication aims at creating the conditions for inland navigation transport to become a quality mode of transport. It sets out the programme for policy action in the field of inland waterway transport for the period 2014-2020.
The other elements of the package represent the first steps towards the implementation of the NAIADES II programme, which will facilitate long-term structural changes in the inland waterway transport sector, including short terms actions currently being undertaken by the Commission to address the difficult economic situation of the sector.
The Commission staff working document is a contribution to the impact assessment of future initiatives in relation to the greening of the inland waterway fleet. Theproposal for a Directive laying down technical requirements for inland waterway vessels prepares for the implementation of a new approach to governance in inland navigation. Finally the proposal for a Regulation amending the Council Regulation on a Community-fleet capacity policy to promote inland waterway transport intends to allow for a broader range of actions of the Reserve Funds available to support inland navigation.
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