Harmonised river information services – revision of EU rules

Background

The initiative to revise Directive 2005/44/EC is tied-in with key objectives of current European Union policy. According to the European Green Deal, a substantial part of the 75% of inland freight carried today by road should shift onto rail and inland waterways. Likewise, the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy underlines the need to increase the use of more sustainable transport modes, and indicates that inland waterway transport and short-sea shipping should increase by 25% by 2030 and by 50% by 2050.

The general objective of the initiative is to provide an efficient and effective framework for deploying and using harmonised river information services in the EU. This framework will support inland waterway transport and boost its uptake, enhance safety, efficiency and environmental friendliness, reduce negative externalities and facilitate interfaces with other transport modes.

Key points

• The EESC believes that river information services (RIS) in Europe not only now, but also in the future, should pursue three objectives: safety, sustainability, and enabling integration with different modes of transport.
• The RIS should therefore be able to adapt to changing challenges and opportunities, while at the same time being compatible with the relevant systems in the various modes of transport and be user-friendly.
• Building awareness of the new digital technologies in inland waterway transport and educating people on how to use them are essential. It must be ensured that employees are involved in discussions on how to implement RIS.

Additional information

Section: Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society (TEN)

Opinion number: TEN/840

Opinion type: Mandatory

Referral: COM(2024) 33 final 2024/0011 COD COM(2024) 33 final 2024/0011 COD

COM(2024) 33 final 2024/0011 COD COM(2024) 33 final 2024/0011 COD

Rapporteur: Mateusz Szymański (Group II - Poland)

Date of adoption by section: 4 April 2024

Result of the vote: 62 in favour, 0 against, 1 abstention

Date of adoption in plenary: 24-25 April 2024

Result of the vote: 192 in favour, 0 against, 1 abstention

Contact

Marco Pezzani

Press Officer

Tel.: +32 2 546 9793 | Mob: +32 470 881 903

E-mail: marco.pezzani@eesc.europa.eu

António Ribeiro Pereira

Administrator

Tel.: +32 546 9363

E-mail: antonio.ribeiropereira@eesc.europa.eu