The river navigation was head of the poster at Danube Summit, organized by EWP Communications and Textimage in Constantza, between June 4-6, and Via Donau - Österreichische Wasserstraßen GmbH, founded by the Austrian Government in order to maintain and develop the Danubian navigable route - was one of the most well-represented foreign participants. With the launch of the project PLATINA, Via Donau should become a reliable partner for river operators Romanian interested to develop business with European support. Mr. Seitz, Managing Director of the Austrian company, had the kindness to answer a few questions.
RBT: Which would be the biggest obstacle to the development of transport on the Danube - infrastructure (poor fairway, old ports equipment and lack of hinterland connections) or administrative factors such as lack of subsidies and cumbersome customs formalities?
Manfred Seitz: A well-functioning infrastructure is the backbone of any transport system, this also accounts for the Danube. Austrian National Action Plan for Danube navigation follows a comprehensive inland navigation policy that tries to improve the overall framework conditions of this system: Besides the improvement of the infrastructure this also takes into account the modernisation of the transport mode through River Information Services as well as legal and administrative issues and information and promotion activities. Therefore I believe that the system Danube navigation can only be sustainable improved if you consider all the different elements.
RBT: Czech Republic, Slovakia and recently Austria started to offer subsidies for inland waterway transport. Do you think that Romania and other riparian countries should do the same?
M.S.: The emerging of dedicated funding programmes for inland waterway transport in various European countries reflects the transport policy objectives of these countries. Such incentives for inland waterway transport exist in all Western European countries with significant inland waterways (The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France). Such subsidies are also a clear signal that the transport mode inland navigation is recognised as effective and environmentally friendly. This is also laid down in the European transport policy respectively in the dedicated programme NAIADES, which strives to strengthen inland navigation at the European level. In this respect the European Commission will soon publish a ”Funding guide for inland waterway transport in Europe“, which gives an overview on existing and planned national and European funding programmes for inland waterway transport. I believe that dedicated national subsidies/incentives are very important instruments for a faster development of Danube navigation.
