Reference Actions of the EUSDR Action Plan (European Commission’s Document SEC(2010) 1489, December 2010):

“To implement harmonised River Information Services (RIS)”

 

The so-called River Information Services (RIS) are electronic information and management services, developed to assist both freight and passenger shipping on the waterway. The services are particularly offered to captains on board, to shipping companies, ports and navigation authorities, and are available in all Danube riparian countries – although to a differing completeness and quality.

 

Available key services in the Danube Region:

• Electronic Navigational Charts are provided in all countries, to be used instead of conventional paper charts
• Authorities in all EU Member States in the region provide Notices to Skippers which support traffic safety and contain information regarding the usability of the infrastructure (e.g. lock closures)
• Traffic management and traffic information services are supported through a full coverage of Inland AIS (Automatic Identification System) infrastructure (tracking and tracing of vessels)
• Electronic Reporting services for voyage and cargo data reporting (e.g. of dangerous goods)

 

National RIS infrastructures in the Danube Region advanced step by step and are steadily improved by the national authorities. Additional steps are needed to increase usability and reliability as well as to make RIS Services available for the entire inland waterway network. Setting up the FIS Portal (http://www.danubeportal.com) was the first start to jointly offer fairway information that was scattered over several sources before.

 

RIS applications still focus very much on the safety of inland navigation while automatic information exchange with terminal operators, freight brokers and shippers is used primarily in pilot operations.

 

Considering the advanced state of the national RIS infrastructures in the Rhine-Danube Corridor and the cross-border nature of the outstanding challenges, WG 4 supports the national stakeholders in dealing with outstanding challenges in a joint initiative.

 

(c) viadonau

 

ONGOING  INITIATIVES

• RIS COMEX – RIS Corridor Management Execution
• Integrated Port Information System in Hungary – development of an integrated inland port ICT application to streamline administrative formalities through better use of information, communication and positioning technologies
• RIS Expert Groups – Support to the 4 RIS expert groups on behalf of the European Commission