New “master plan“ to increase shipping volumes on the Danube

River shipping: Ministerial conference of Danube countries agrees on a “master plan to renew and maintain the Danube fairway“

Last week the ministerial conference of Danube countries took another important step to expand the shipping business on the Danube. In a joint statement the majority of the Danube states showed their commitment to make the necessary investments to ensure and improve the maintenance of the fairway. “This is a clear sign of the shipping industry and the further use of the environmentally friendly waterway“, says Alois Stöger, Austrian minister of infrastructure, being glad about the agreement.

In order to ensure a consistent approach, the „master plan for the renewal and maintenance of the Danube fairway“ will be used as a basis for further action by the individual riparian states. For the Austrian transport policy, the contribution of inland navigation to the environmentally friendly management of traffic in the Danube corridor is essential.

Alois Stöger emphasised: „The Danube an invaluable habitat, as well as an important transport corridor through Europe. Together with the other countries we have set the goal to further promote the river shipping industry. This of course is only possible if we are together maintaining the Danube fairway. “

With a navigable length of 2,415 km, the Danube is one of the most important waterways in Europe. About 80 million people are living in its catchment area. This is why the Danube Strategy was developed following an initiative of Austria and Romania, aiming to establish a closer economic, political, cultural and scientific cooperation among all countries along the Danube. Ensuring the navigability of the Danube river, as well as promoting river construction projects, counts among the tasks of the Danube Strategy.

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Quelle: LogEastics
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