With the European Green Deal's overarching commitment to make the EU climate neutral by 2050, the scene is set for a vast transformation of the entire transport system. This poses serious challenges to the future of inland navigation, requiring great effort and determination from both the public and private sectors to succeed. In order to efficiently adapt to the EU's ambitious climate goals, several support measures - both at national and international levels - are required. Highlighting IWT's obvious strengths in terms of transported volumes, low emission rates, energy efficiency, and last but not least - its vital role in the implementation process of the European Green Deal - the representatives of Pro Danube Austria and Pro Danube International handed over a position paper containing demands and proposed measures to adequately support the sector's pathway to climate neutrality while keeping a sharp eye on economic prosperity - to the representative of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology, Ms. Vera Hofbauer, Head of Directorate General IV - Transport.Key elements of the position paper include the following:
-
Decisions should be taken in a politically coordinated manner preferably at the European - or at least at Corridor - level;
-
Take measures to counteract the shortage of skilled workers by making jobs more attractive;
-
Provide concise implementation plans at the European level for the use of environmentally friendly alternative fuels in inland navigation;
-
Facilitate the active involvement of technology manufacturers to develop and implement the best possible solutions;
-
Good navigation status at corridor level to enable adequate fairway maintenance;
-
Introduction of uniform financing models, easily accessible to all involved actors;
-
Uniform funding criteria at EU level.
Even though handed over to Austrian decision-makers - the position paper retains validity for the entire Danube IWT sector.
The position paper, elaborated in German, is available for download here.