Pro Danube - News

: 16 April 2021

Pro Danube at the Rhine-Danube Corridor Meetings

Pro Danube International was represented by its Chairman, Mr. Herfried Leitner, and its General Secretary, Mr. Robert Rafael at the 13^th Working Group Meeting of the Rhine-Danube Corridor on Ports and Inland Waterways. With Pro Danube being actively involved in the DIONYSUS project, which core objective is to address the main regional challenges in port infrastructure governance and planning in order to facilitate the integration of the Danube Region into smart and sustainable multi-modal transport chains, the meeting proved extremely fruitful from a multitude of perspectives. It provided a platform to discuss and present the ongoing proceedings directly affecting the legislative framework on inland waterway transport, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Danube riparian countries, and last but not least, information on the status quo of digitalisation and alternative fuels as well as on the current status of the revision of the TEN-T Regulation.

Regarding digitalisation – vital in making IWT more efficient - Pro Danube’s Chairman, Mr. Leitner, asked how the European Commission puts the advantages of digitalisation into balance: what is the concrete benefit for river ship owners since currently, they are not able to see the operating vessels on one, harmonised platform. The answer provided suggested that there is still the challenge of data protection while the expectation is that this issue, addressed by RIS COMEX, will be solved in the foreseeable future. The conclusions of the meeting and the collected information will feed into the ongoing proceedings of the DIONYSUS project.

In the aftermath of this meeting, the representatives of Pro Danube joined the 15^thOnline Meeting of the Rhine-Danube Core Network Corridor Forum. High on the agenda of the meeting was the presentation of the progress of the updated Study on the Rhine-Danube TEN-T Core Network 2021. The presentation addressed several aspects, such as: What has changed compared to the findings in 2017? Which bottlenecks still hamper multimodality? What is the status quo of ongoing projects? This and further relevant questions will be touched by the study which is expected to be published soon.

Pro Danube urged for the long-term solution for the fairway management works on the Romanian-Bulgarian joint Danube section. Its representatives also highlighted that besides the available depth in the fairway, it also has to be ensured that the port entrances are also providing the proper depth to enter/leave the port with loaded draught as on the fairway.

Other important aspects discussed in the framework of the meeting refer to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on multimodality and to the expected financing opportunities for the transport sector foreseen for the period 2021-2027.

: 15 April 2021

PDI marks its 10th anniversary with a special General Assembly and the launch of its new website

capture7 min Attended by its members, the Coordinator of the Rhine- Danube Corridor – Ms. Ines Ayala Sender, representatives of the European Commission, the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency and the Danube Commission as well as its fellow branch organisations - INE, IWT Platform, Pro Danube Austria and the waterway administration viadonau, the 10^th anniversary of Pro Danube International was marked on Friday, 26 March 2021, by a festive online edition of the association’s General Assembly. On this occasion, Pro Danube’s new website was officially launched, providing a new point of reference for partners and stakeholders.

Founded in 2011 by Mr. Alexandru Capatu and Mr. Manfred Seitz, Pro Danube International continued to grow, developing into a network of more than 180 companies which have a strategic interest in securing better infrastructure conditions and a higher rate of public & private investments in the Danube transport and logistics system. In its capacity as the main voice of the IWT industry in the Danube Region, Pro Danube initiated and successfully rolled out projects funded by various EU funding programmes such as the Danube Transnational Programme – DANTE, DAPhNE (2017-2019), GRENDEL (2018-2020) as well as in the frame of other funding programmes such as CEF, Horizon 2020 and TEN-T - all of which produced tangible results widely acknowledged on the transnational level.

Having a unified, harmonised voice that represents the interest of the Danube IWT sector is, as highlighted by PDI’s Chairman, Mr. Herfried Leitner, beneficial for both the industry and public authorities responsible for the governance of IWT.

PDI is actively involved in initiatives at the EU level having continuously contributed to major policy initiatives such as the European Union Action Programme NAIADES, the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region as well as the Fairway Rehabilitation and Maintenance Master Plan for the Danube and its navigable tributaries. The association is furthermore actively involved in dedicated expert groups such as:

Permanent observer of the EUSDR/PA1A Steering Group (since April 2015) as well as active member of the working groups;
Member of European RIS Expert Groups;
Member of NAIADES Expert Group;
Member of FAIRWAY project Advisory Board;
Member of Good Navigation Status Expert Group;
Member of DINA – Digital Inland Waterway Area Task Force (since 2017);
Member of the DTLF – Digital Transport and Logistics Forum (December 2018);
PIANC (World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure):
- WG125: River Information Services;
- WG156: e-Navigation for Inland Waterways.

Pro Danube’s celebration was honoured by the presence of Ms. Ines Ayala-Sender, the new European Coordinator for the TEN-T Rhine-Danube Corridor as of 1 January 2021. In her keynote speech, Ms. Ayala-Sender highlighted PDI’s role in efficiently bundling the Danube IWT industry’s voice on the European level and its vital role in initiating and facilitating EU-funded projects which had a positive impact on the overall development of IWT. These projects further strengthened the Danube IWT community, setting the ground for successful subsequent initiatives and projects which shall reflect key aspects of the European Green Deal.

One of the two founders of Pro Danube International – Mr. Manfred Seitz – reflected on the beginnings of the association, on the driving force of his and Mr. Capatu’s enthusiasm for the IWT sector that was and still is present at the heart of PDI. Remembering PDI’s success stories and its evolution as a unified voice of the Danube IWT industry was a great opportunity to cherish the memory of the late founding father and President of PDI, Mr. Alexandru Capatu.

Underlying PDI’s role as a gateway between public and private entities, Mr. Antonio Stoean, representing one of the founding members of Pro Danube International – TTS Romania – argued that digitalisation and greening are key elements that should play a vital role in PDI’s future initiatives. Moreover, from the sector’s perspective, several short and mid-term actions are needed in order to efficiently adapt IWT to the latest European legislation in terms of emission reduction and alternative fuels. Crucial for a balanced development is a common approach, whereas the comparatively low intake of innovative technologies must be taken into consideration when shaping the future of IWT.

“Greater Together” is a key motto that defines the very existence of PDI, as highlighted by its General Secretary, Mr. Róbert Rafael. This is reflected by the fruitful partnership with related public and private branch organisations such as INE, the IWT Platform, Pro Danube Austria and the waterway administration viadonau. The distinguished representatives of these organisations joined PDI’s celebration marking a decade of commitment for the well-being of the Danube IWT sector, highlighting in their keynote speeches the excellent collaboration in terms of projects and initiatives.

A new website as key communication platform for the years ahead

The continuous evolution of Pro Danube and its acknowledged impact on the well-being of the Danube IWT sector is reflected in the launch of a new website that features the organisation’s commitment to the well-being of the Danube IWT sector and its expertise in various IWT related thematic fields. With PDI focusing on identifying the needs of the sector & with rolling out EU-wide policy-related-actions on one hand, and PDM on shaping up business cases as well as on developing and implementing transnational projects, on the other hand, the two entities share the same communication efforts and dissemination channels. To this end, four main channels support Pro Danube on a daily basis to communicate with its stakeholders, namely by means of its website as well as via the dedicated group's setup making use of the Social Media platforms - Linkedin, Facebook, and Instagram.

The redesigned website harmoniously integrates various contents as well as improved functionalities, facilitating closer communication with the members and the community at large. It offers quick and easy access to the main information of both Pro Danube International and Pro Danube Management, on past and ongoing projects, provides an overview of its monthly newsletters, publications, events, news and other informative materials facilitating awareness creation and know-how transfer within the IWT community. The highlights are reflected by the Members as well as the Initiatives sections, which give the necessary visibility and hence promote tailored activities to the needs of our sector.

A presentation highlighting PDI's active and enduring commitment to the well-being of the IWT sector is available here.

: 08 March 2021

PLATINA3 supports inland waterway transport with series of stage events

The Platform for the implementation of a future inland navigation action programme PLATINA3 has officially kicked-off on the 8^th of February 2021. This project aims to improve impact and broadening stakeholder engagement in support of transport research and innovation under the EU Horizon 2020 programme. For a period of 30 months the project partners provide targeted coordination and support activities to promote Inland Waterways Transport (IWT) in Europe.

PLATINA3 therefore addresses four priority topics for the success of IWT: (1) integration and digitalization of IWT in view of modal shift and synchro modality, (2) zero emission, automated and climate resilient fleet, (3) skilled workforce anticipating to zero-emission & automation, and (4) smart & climate resilient waterway and port infrastructure with clean energy hubs. PLATINA3 is structured around thematic fields Market, Fleet, Jobs & Skills and Infrastructure. Key experts and stakeholders are consortium partners ensuring required expertise and support: IWT sector and shippers (IWT Platform, BLN, ESC), member states and river commissions (CCNR, DC), waterway administrations (INE, viadonau), education institutes (STC, MAH), Waterborne TP (Sea Europe), workers (ETF), expertise centres (PDM and EICB).

On the 7^th and 8^th of April, the PLATINA3 consortium is organizing the first STAGE event in a series of six international meetings, which will be hosted online by the Danube Commission.

Participants will be able to virtually attend keynote speeches by the newly elected President of the Danube Commission, high-ranking representatives of the European Commission and from the Danube countries, members of the European Parliament and from the business community. The opening session will be followed by 7 thematic sessions, addressing key challenges and opportunities in inland navigation such as the transition to zero-emission shipping, the integration of inland navigation into supply chains, and smart waterways and autonomous navigation.

On the 8^th of April between 09:45 and 13:00 hrs, Pro Danube Management together with viadonau are organising a session dedicated to synchromodal logistics chains & smart waterways. Chaired by PDM, the event aims to highlight on one side daily practices and challenges experienced by several logistics operators involved across the different supply chains legs, introduce new tools and services enabling the integration of IWT into synchromodal logistics chains as well as it will promote best practices collected by means of pilot activities deployed within the framework of one of the leading Austrian research project in the field of physical internet – PhysICAL and the European logistics alliance ALICE. It will also provide an insight to the EC’s ongoing and planned initiatives in terms of digitalization and digital transformation & integration and will introduce key messages derived from the evaluation of the RIS Directive.

Registration is available at: www.platina3.eu/budapest

A copy of the agenda is available for download here.

: 25 February 2021

Pro Danube International General Assembly 2021

Ten years ago, Mr. Alexandru Capatu and Mr. Manfred Seitz together with highly committed founding members have given the Danube community a common voice to address key challenges confronting the Danube inland navigation sector. On this occasion, we would like to thank all our members, partners and colleagues for their dedication and support to engage in a long-term, active, and coordinated cooperation process benefiting the IWT sector and regional economy at large. Since its establishment, Pro Danube International continuously continued to grow, developing into a network of more than 180 companies that have a strategic interest in securing better infrastructure conditions and a higher rate of public investments in the Danube transport and logistics system.

With the Danube being regarded as the economical backbone of a transnational region par excellence, characterized by different levels of socioeconomic development, Pro Danube International successfully managed to bring together public and private representatives of the Danube Region in order to have a lasting impact on the overall situation of IWT. This year's General Assembly is set to celebrate a decade of commitment to the well-being of the Danube IWT sector and to intensify cooperation with related branch organisations. We therefore cordially invite our partners to join the open session of our General Assembly to take part in the discussions with highly distinguished experts of the IWT sector.

Those of you interested to attend, please register here.