Reference Actions of the EUSDR Action Plan
(European Commission’s SWD(2020) 59 final, April 2020):

 

ACTION 1: Contribute to improve waterway and port infrastructure & management

 

Although enacted within the framework of the TEN-T Regulation (1315/2013), the  “European Agreement on Main Inland Waterways of International Importance” (AGN) (which is ratified by all Danube riparian countries except for Germany) and the “Recommendations on minimum requirements for standard fairway parameters, hydrotechnical and other improvements on the Danube” of the Danube Commission, waterway management as well as upgrading and maintenance of the waterway and related infrastructure are under national responsibility.

Consequently, as the Danube is a linear transport axis, transnational coordination is essential for successful development. PA1a has brought up important milestones in this respect, such as the setting up of the Fairway Rehabilitation and Maintenance Masterplan for the Danube and its navigable tributaries, which continues to be a main element in the coordinated development of Danube navigation.  (Further information about the Master Plan and the National Action Plans can be found under documents.)

This working group supports this process by linking stakeholders from all user groups and regions and offering an open, but structured discussion basis on selected topics. Thematic coverage includes improvement of the fairway conditions, shore side and ports infrastructure along the Danube and its navigable tributaries as well as taking actions in a sustainable and environmentally sound way. Innovative fairway maintenance, service-oriented optimisation of lock operations and up-to-date shore side infrastructure, improved mooring places and bridge clearances as well as better multimodal accessibility of inland ports and transhipment sites to other transport modes and their hinterland are discussed and their implementation supported.

RELEVANT / ONGOING  INITIATIVES

NAVIGABILITY  AND  AVAILABILITY  OF  FAIRWAYS

• TEN-T Guidelines
• UNECE: AGN and Blue Book
• Joint Statement on Inland Navigation and Environmental Sustainability in the Danube River Basin:
  The statement provides a set of guiding principles and criteria for development and maintenance of navigation in the Danube (and some tributaries), in a way that at the same time effectively protects and improves the environmental situation. River engineering and maintenance measures conducted by the waterway administrations should take into account environmental considerations in an integrated manner.
• Deepening of the fairway of the Upper Main
• Upgrade of the Danube between Straubing and Vilshofen
• Catalogue of Measures for the Danube East of Vienna
• DaReM – Danube Rehabilitation Measures
• Improving navigability on the Hungarian section of the Danube in the Rhine-Danube Corridor: Extended study to prepare implementation
• Reconstruction of the critical parts of the Sava River waterway in the sections Jaruge – Novi Gradand Puska – Preloščica
• Rehabilitation of the critical sectors on the Sava river in Serbia
• River training structures and dredging works between Backa Palanka and Belgrade
• FAST Danube
• SWIM – SMART Waterway Integrated Management
• Danube STREAM – Smart, Integrated and Harmonized Waterway Management (EUSDR Strategic Project)
• FAIRway Danube (EUSDR Strategic Project)

ON  SITE  INFORMATION

• HUMARK – Improving fairway marking system on the Hungarian Danube
• Development and installation of the navigation monitoring and electronic fairway marking system on the Danube River (AtoNs)
• FAIRway Danube (EUSDR Strategic Project):
  One main activity is to regularly survey the riverbed with state-of-the-art equipment and to provide adequate on-site information to skippers by means of improved fairway marking interventions.

CONSTRUCTIONAL  INFRASTRUCTURE

• Reconstruction of the Obernau lock
• Reconstruction of the Kriegenbrunn and Erlangen locks at the Main-Danube Canal
• Overhaul of Kachlet
• Upgrade of Gabcíkovo locks
• Rehabilitation and upgrade of the Serbian Iron Gate I navigational lock
• Rehabilitation of locks on the Danube-Black Sea Canal and the Poarta Alba-Midia Navodari Canal
• Feasibility study for the upgrade of public berths in Linz and Vienna:
  The study considered the public berths in Linz and Vienna (with the exception of special-purpose berths) and analysed the options for upgrading their physical structure from the current inclined riverbank construction to a more customer-oriented design. The following three variants were compared: vertical riverbank construction, dolphins and pontoon, and dolphins with fixed landing stages. The study also analysed the possibilities of providing on-shore power supply facilities in the future.

NATIONAL  PORT  DEVELOPMENT

• Core Network Port Regensburg – Improving Accessibility
• Trimodal Linz port – Rail connection and port enhancement
• Construction of the LNG Terminal in public port of Bratislava
• Master Plan and feasibility study for the Komárno port
• Master Plan and feasibility study for the development of the TEN-T ports, including Komárom Port
• PAN-LNG-4-DANUBE
• Slavonski Brod Port infrastructure construction and upgrade
• Construction of the new Port in Belgrade
• High Performance Green Port Giurgiu Stage II – Construction
• Galati multimodal platform Stage I – Upgrade of the waterside infrastructure
• PROTECT – Upgrade of infrastructure and environmental protection in Constanța Port
• Technical assistance for the preparation and implementation of port reception facilities (PRF) in the Bulgarian public ports

TRANSNATIONAL  INITIATIVES

• DAPhNE – Danube Ports Network (EUSDR Strategic Project)
• DBS Gateway Region – Regional and Transport Development in the Danube-Black Sea Region towards a Transnational Multiport Gateway Region
• ENERGY BARGE – Building a Green Energy and Logistics Belt
• Danube Logistics Portal (ongoing):
  The Danube Logistics Portal provides useful services for Inland Waterway Transport along the Danube. By entering the cargo to be shipped, the loading and unloading port, the type of ship to be used and the operation mode of the vessel into the “Transport Planner” a complete overview of all possible service providers (shipping and brokering), information on the loading and unloading ports and the estimated travel time of the transport are provided.