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Inland waterway transport
Promotion of inland waterway transport
By creating favourable conditions for the further development of the sector, the Commission hopes to encourage more companies to use this mode of transport. The policy to promote inland waterway transport in Europe is encapsulated in the NAIADES Action Programme (2006-2013). The implementation of NAIADES is supported by the implementation platform PLATINA , launched on 1 October 2008.
Carriage of goods by inland waterways is an environmentally friendly mode of transport, which can make a significant contribution to sustainable mobility in Europe. The European Commission believes that its great potential must be better used in order to relieve heavy congested transport corridors.
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.
In addition, on 1 October 2008, the European Commission launched the PLATINA project in a bid to further boost the promotion of inland waterway transport by providing an effective platform to support the implementation of NAIADES. The project, which brings together 22 partners from 9 European countries, has received funding of € 8.5 million from the Commission.
The European Commission is also promoting inland waterway transport through the Marco Polo programme, the European Union's funding programme for projects which shift freight transport from the road to sea, rail and inland waterways.
