PLATINA has launched an innovative manual presenting good practises in sustainable waterway planning. The document provides guidelines for planning waterway development projects that are compatible with environmental protection requirements, creating a win-win harmony. It offers general advice for waterway infrastructure projects and addresses both technical planners and other interested stakeholders who want to be involved in a waterway development planning process.

The International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) has co-ordinated the production of the Manual, which is the result of a consultative process between waterway operators and managers, and environmental organisations. According to Philip Weller, Executive Secretary of ICPDR: “This new planning tool will substantially enhance and smoothen communication between the transport and environment sectors.” To Mr Weller, the public discussions make it clear that “there is a strong need to guide future actions with an eye to reconciling what might be conflicting interests. Some innovative processes and measures have shown that it is indeed possible to create win-win solutions for environment, transport and other river uses.”

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 Manual on Good Practices in Sustainable Waterway Planning
   (2010 | Language: English | Format: PDF | Size: 10.5 MB)

The second edition of the PLATINA Good Practices Report is now available. The information on good practices included in the first version was updated and various new good practices have been added. As a new feature, a special in-depth analysis is provided on the most promising good practice cases.

In this second round many good practices became more mature and many new good practices were added to the existing set which was published in the first edition of the report. Based on additional literature review and interviews with responsible authorities, stakeholders or developers, an in-depth analysis was carried out on Roll-On-Roll-Off (RoRo) transport, the EDINNA platform of education institutes which was set up in the past year, River Information Services (RIS) and Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), which currently receive much attention in many European countries.

Together with a paper version, the third version of the good practices report will also be drafted as an internet-based handbook, from which interested stakeholders can derive examples on the various themes of NAIADES, and which will also be used as a means of promoting IWT as a whole. It will be published at the beginning of 2011.

 PLATINA good practices report (2nd edition)
   (2010 | Language: English | Format: PDF | Size: 7.6 MB)

For two years PLATINA has been a driving force in the implementation of NAIADES now. This newsletter contains an overview of recent project results such as the second edition of the PLATINA Good Practices Report, the Innovation Database, the development of a concept for Standards of Training and Certification in Inland Navigation (STCIN), the newly launched RIS Information Portal and other important forthcoming activities.

As PLATINA is a multi-disciplinary knowledge network with an open communication strategy, all project actions, results and events can be monitored through our online information services. Additionally, the PLATINA consortium keeps you informed through a regular newsletter. We are pleased to be able to present this second newsletter, detailing the progress made so far by PLATINA.

 PLATINA newsletter (2nd edition)
   (2010 | Language: English | Format: PDF | Size: 0.4 MB)

An informal reflection group on inland navigation named ‘REGINA’ – in which key experts from the industry, the river commissions as well as from the public administrations were involved – in March 2010 finished its deliberations with regard to the improvement of European cooperation and coordination in the field of inland navigation. In its conclusions ‘REGINA’ stresses the need for a strong positioning of inland waterway transport in the European Transport Policy. This has to be achieved through comprehensive and concerted action of all involved stakeholders.

Facilitated as from autumn 2009 by the PLATINA platform, an informal expert group named ‘REGINA’ has been created to start further deliberations with regard to the improvement of European cooperation and coordination in the field of inland navigation.

Against the background of the many and varied identified tasks the reflection group concluded that the following measures be necessary:

• Intensified cooperation between all stakeholders by establishing a permanent, structured and intensive cooperation between the competent institutions;
• Permanent European IWT policy by setting up a comprehensive European IWT strategy and programme as a permanent follow-up of the current Action Programme NAIADES;
• Financial and human resources by providing the financial support of the Community level required to implement a permanent European IWT programme;
• Seamless transition of the ongoing NAIADES actions by securing continuity between the present and future actions.

The experts believe it is the right time to address these issues now and to recommend solutions to strengthen the role of inland navigation.

 REGINA final report
   (2010 | Language: English | Format: PDF | Size: 2.9 MB)

In 2009 PLATINA, the Platform for the implementation of NAIADES, has carried out several actions in the fields of fleet innovation, education and training, image and awareness, river information services and infrastructure development. The recently published PLATINA newsletter provides an overview of the progress made so far.

Recognising that the implementation of the European NAIADES Action Programme is a shared responsibility, the PLATINA consortium is dedicated to support the European Commission, Member States and third countries in the implementation of selected NAIADES actions. Organised along the lines of the NAIADES action programme, five thematic areas are pursued in the work plan of PLATINA.
 
In the first project year various PLATINA activities and working groups have been set up. PLATINA has initiated several actions in the fields of fleet innovation, education and training, image and awareness, river information services and infrastructure development. As PLATINA is a multi-disciplinary knowledge network with an open communication strategy, all project actions, results and events can be monitored through our online information services. Additionally, the PLATINA consortium keeps you informed through a regular newsletter. We are pleased to be able to present this first newsletter, detailing the progress made so far by PLATINA.

 PLATINA newsletter (1st edition)
   (2009 | Language: English | Format: PDF | Size: 0.6 MB)

As part of its contribution to the ongoing debate on the future of transport, Inland Navigation Europe (INE) has produced new resources for people wanting to know more about inland navigation. The brochure “A changing world” presents a vision of a future in which inland navigation is fully integrated into logistics supply chains and is the optimal choice for efficient and environmentally friendly transportation.

Inland waterways are a win-win solution for all concerned, reducing congestion and emissions in supply chains while generating more return on investment with integrated landscape solutions encompassing environmental protection, regional development, water supply, leisure, tourism and flood control.

“A changing world” spells out concrete measures to be taken in order to maximize the contribution of inland navigation to green transport policy in Europe by the holistic improvement of existing waterway infrastructure, the creation of truly multi-modal sea and inland ports, the continuation of and improvement to the already existing River Information Services and developing inland waterways to provide sustainable regional development.

INE brochure: A changing world
   (2009 | Language: English | Format: PDF | Size: 3.9 MB)

In this brochure Inland Navigation Europe (INE) highlights how adding waterways to transport logistics will help to realize Europe’s green economy. It provides guidance on how to multiply the first successful best practices over Europe’s water regions.

A world without transport is a world without trade and without goods. And a world without transport and goods is impossible to imagine. But climate change, dwindling natural resources and traffic gridlocks mean we must make the choice to use more sustainable transport and thus maintain our competitive edge.

“Just add water” highlights how adding waterways to transport logistics will help to realize Europe’s green economy. It also provides guidance on how to multiply existing best practices over Europe’s water regions. The brochure provides guidance for preparing for the future by building a solid transport policy strategy and equipping people with effective implementation tools.

INE brochure: Just add water
   (2009 | Language: English | Format: PDF | Size: 2.9 MB)

Stronger cooperation and coordination between existing education and training institutions is needed to raise the effectiveness and efficiency of the European educational landscape for inland navigation. For this purpose, an inventory on existing education and training institutes was created. The inventory includes contact data, number of pupils, level of education as well as the curricula.

The thorough investigation enabled the identification of IWT educational and training institutes in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia. Limited training activities were also identified in Finland, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg and Portugal. The inventory will be constantly updated by the PLATINA partners.

On 4-5 February 2009 the educational network EDINNA (Education in Inland Navigation) was officially founded at the General Assembly in Rotterdam. EDINNA currently consists of 20 education and training institutes, which are also listed in this inventory. There are ongoing negotations with institutes in the Czech Republic, France, Hungary and Poland to join EDINNA.

Inventory of existing IWT education and training
   (2009 | Language: English | Format: PDF | Size: 2.0 MB)
Inventory of existing IWT education and training (Annex)
   (2009 | Language: English | Format: XLS | Size: 0.1 MB)

The first collection of good practices in inland waterway transport is now available online. These cases represent good practices across Europe, and have been specifically selected for their transferability. Good practices that have succeeded in one place may succeed in others. As Peter F Drucker says “Today knowledge has power. It controls access to opportunity and advancement”.

With these good practices and success stories of innovative IWT services we hope to stimulate innovative transport solutions and increase the awareness of shippers and a broader audience on the efficiency of IWT. We hope to raise the attention for as well as the visibility of the IWT sector and the opportunities it offers. Good practises from the five NAIADES pillars (markets, fleet, jobs & skills, image and infrastructure) have been collected .

Good practices report
   (2009 | Language: EN | Format: PDF | Size: 5.1 MB)

For the first time, detailed information about funding programmes and financial aid schemes for Europe's inland navigation sector is available in one user-friendly guide.

The Funding Guide lists national and regional funding policies, subjects and criteria as well as contact persons and relevant organisations. It is aimed at inland navigation operators and users in EU and third countries with relevant inland waterway transport. From February 2009, the Funding Guide is also available online in English, Dutch, French and German, where it is updated on a regular basis
 www.naiades.info/funding

Printed copies of the Funding Guide in English can be obtained free of charge by sending a short notice to funding@naiades.info.



 Funding Guide für Inland Waterway Transport in Europe
   (2008 | Language: EN | Format: PDF | Size: 10.4 MB)

On 1 October 2008 the final report for the “Study on Administrative and Regulatory Barriers in the field of Inland Waterway Transport” was presented. The survey was carried out on request of the European Commission in the framework of the NAIADES Action Programme.

The report contains a comprehensive list of around 180 serious problems which hamper inland waterway transport and provides recommendations on how to tackle these problems.

PLATINA, the Platform for the Implementation of NAIADES, takes up these recommendations and promotes their implementation in close cooperation with public bodies (national administrations), inland waterway transport users and other representatives from the sector.



Part A (2008 | Language: EN | Format: PDF | Size: 1.5 MB)
Part B (2008 | Language: EN | Format: PDF | Size: 0.9 MB)