IP/07/1863
Commission presents the progress of ‘NAIADES’

Brussels, Belgium – The European Commission presented 2007-12-05 the first report on the progress that has been made in implementing the so-called ‘NAIADES’ programme which is aimed at promoting inland waterway transport in Europe. This first report registers progress in a broad range of areas, including initiatives that have been launched to improve market conditions, to modernise the fleet, to make the profession more attractive, and to improve waterway infrastructure.

Commission Vice-President Jacques Barrot in charge of transport said: "More extensive use of inland waterways is key to reducing CO2 emissions of the transport sector. Continued commitment of al stakeholders under the NAIADES programme is a precondition for making inland waterways an important element in the logistics chain".

The NAIADES action programme, launched in 2006, comprises numerous actions and measures to boost transports on inland waterways. The programme runs until 2013 and is to be implemented by the European Commission, the Member States and the industry itself.

Carriage of goods by inland waterways is an environmentally friendly mode of transport, which can make a significant contribution to sustainable mobility in Europe. Its great potential must be better used in order to relieve heavy congested transport corridors from traffic that could also be carried out on inland waterways. Further efforts are needed to improve the performance of inland waterway transport and to integrate it into the logistic chain.

For the coming years, the NAIADES programme foresees actions in the areas of funding and state aid, working time arrangements, professional qualification requirements, the scrutiny of administrative and regulatory barriers, the devolution of innovative technology such as River Information Services, and infrastructure improvements.

More information on the NAIADES Action Programme is available at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/iw/index_en.htm