RIS as a part of the CCNR

The CCNR’s contributions to RIS

In the view of the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR), RIS have the capacity of enhancing the safety and competitiveness of inland navigation. As early as with Resolution 1998-I-24 , the CCNR entrusted its technical committees with the task of supporting development of RIS. In this connection the CCNR later passed Resolution 2001-II-19 , adopting a detailed report which presented the new technologies and proposed corresponding measures. At the same time, the tasks of the previous Inland ECDIS Working Group were expanded in order to establish the RIS Working Group, which is subject to the Police Regulations Committee.

The CCNR subsequently adopted the following:

• Guidelines and Recommendations for River Information Services (RIS Guidelines),
• Guidelines for Vessel Traffic Services on Inland Waterways,
• RIS Standards.

With the adopted standards as a basis, the CCNR introduced mandatory electronic reporting for certain vessels carrying containers. The CCNR has also drawn up regulatory and organisational measures for requiring the installation and use of Inland AIS equipment in navigating the Rhine. The CCNR has also decided that vessels (excluding ferries) which must be fitted with an Inland AIS device must also be fitted with an Inland ECDIS device in information mode, or with a comparable device for displaying charts . The entirety of the CCNR’s current efforts in the area of RIS results from its work programme.

Neither the guidelines and the standards nor the Guide Concerning Radiotelephone Service on Inland Waterways are of themselves legally binding. In its regulations the CCNR has consequently included corresponding requirements for River Information Services and equipment; with legally binding effect, these requirements thus introduce services, specify equipment and oblige the inland navigation operators to comply with standards.

The plenary session of the CCNR decides about amendments to the CCNR’s legal regulations on the basis of proposals submitted by its committees and working groups. In the case of RIS, in contrast, the CCNR has delegated a large part of its decision-making powers for amending the RIS Guidelines and standards, or certain parts thereof, to its committees, working groups and the international expert groups. The CCNR’s aim in doing this is to allow the standards to be adapted to technical developments and recent practical experience as quickly and with as little effort as possible.

RIS Working Group

The CCNR established the RIS Working Group with the adoption of Resolution 2001-II-19 . The RIS Working Group arose from the Inland ECDIS ad hoc working group. The tasks assigned to the working group and the procedures prescribed in the resolution continue to serve as a guideline for the group’s work.

To support implementation of RIS, the RIS Working Group of the CCNR holds a RIS workshop every three years. The last workshop took place in November 2017.

RIS strategy of the CCNR

As part of its 2012 spring plenary session, the CCNR has adopted its strategy on the development of the RIS. The CCNR discussed this strategy in depth in the autumn of 2011, during a workshop, and then again during a hearing with the international navigation and shipping associations, to ensure that the shipping profession was able to contribute to the strategy, and that the strategy is able to meet the needs of the profession. The strategy will determine the medium-term realisation of RIS on the Rhine. It is thus an important milestone in the development of RIS, largely initiated by the CCNR ten years ago with the adoption of the Inland ECDIS standard and the process of standardisation of RIS in Europe, which then ensued.

The strategy relies on previous work of both the CCNR and the European Union in the field of RIS, as well as its implementation by the member states of the CCNR. It names the goals of the CCNR that can be supported by the RIS, and describes the appropriate measures to achieve those goals. The altogether 26 measures have been evaluated by the CCNR Working Group on RIS according to importance and urgency. Four of these have been adopted as high priority into the current work programme of the CCNR Police Regulations Committee . These measures are aimed at:

• defining the minimum requirements for Inland ECDIS systems in information mode (or for comparable devices for displaying electronic inland navigation charts),
• looking into the possibilities of extending the obligation of electronic reporting to other vessels or convoys,
• clearly regulating the approval of automatic track guiding systems for navigation on the Rhine,
• harmonising the data fields for electronic reporting.

Decision-making powers for amending RIS Standards and Guidelines or specific parts thereof

The plenary session of the CCNR adopts resolutions on amendments to the Commission’s legal regulations on the basis of proposals submitted by the body’s committees and working groups. In the case of RIS, in contrast, the Commission has delegated a large part of its decision-making powers for amending the RIS Standards and Guidelines, or certain parts thereof, to its committees, working groups and international expert groups. The CCNR’s aim in doing this is to allow the standards to be adapted to technical developments and recent practical experience as quickly and with as little effort as possible. The extent to which decision-making powers are delegated results from the resolutions adopting the standards and Guidelines in the particular case. The table below lists the particular standards and Guidelines, the bodies responsible for further development in the particular case, the decision-making powers delegated to the particular body and the specific resolution defining the powers. The responsible bodies are the Police Regulations Committee (RP) with its Police Regulations Working Group (RP/G) and the RIS Working Group (RIS/G) and the Inspection Regulations Committee (RV) with its Inspection Regulations Working Group (RV/G).

Standard / Guidelines	Body	Decision-making powers	Resolution
Electronic Chart Display and Information System for Inland Navigation (Inland ECDIS Standard)	RP, RV	The CCNR charges its Police and Inspection Regulations Committees to update the standard and to adopt necessary changes under its own responsibility;	2001-I-16
Guidelines and Recommendations for River Information Services (2002 RIS Guidelines)	RP, RV, RIS/G	The CCNR charges its Police and Inspection Regulations Committees […] to update these guidelines with the help of its RIS Working Group and in co-operation with already existing international expert groups.	2003-I-22
Electronic Ship Reporting in Inland Navigation	RP, RIS/G	The CCNR charges its Police Committee to update the standard […] and to adopt necessary changes through its RIS Working Group in cooperation with the existing international expert group under its own responsibility	2003-I-23
Notices to Skippers for Inland Navigation	RP, RIS/G	The CCNR charges its Police Regulations Committee to update the standard […] and to adopt necessary changes under its own responsibility; [...] empowers the RIS Working Group to introduce and publish amendments to the reference tables for the standard under its own responsibility in accordance with a procedure to be decided by the working group.	2004-I-17
Electronic Chart Display and Information System for Inland Navigation (Inland ECDIS Standard)	RP, RIS/G	The CCNR charges its Police Regulations Committee to have the RIS Working Group continually maintain the standard in accordance with the procedures defined in the particular parts of the standard […] and to adopt necessary changes under its own responsibility.	2006-II-22
Guidelines and Criteria for Vessel Traffic Services on Inland Waterways (2006 VTS Standard)	RP, RIS/G	The CCNR charges its Police Regulations Committee to update […] these guidelines and criteria with the help of its RIS Working Group.	2006-I-20
Standardisation of Vessel Tracking and Tracing for Inland Navigation (VTT Standard 2006)	RP, RIS/G	The CCNR charges its Police Regulations Committee [...] to update the standard and ... to adopt necessary changes under its own responsibility; ; in this regard the RIS Working Group is to prepare proposals in cooperation with the existing European Expert Group “Tracking and Tracing on Inland Waterways”, ...	2006-I-21
Standardisation of Vessel Tracking and Tracing for Inland Navigation, Type approval, installation and operation of inland AIS equipment on inland vessels	RP, RIS/G	The CCNR charges its Police Regulations Committee [...] to update the Test Standard; in this regard the Working Group RIS is to prepare proposals in cooperation with the existing European Expert Group “Tracking and Tracing on Inland Waterways”.	2007-I-15
Standardisation of Vessel Tracking and Tracing for Inland Navigation, Type approval, installation and operation of inland AIS equipment on inland vessels	RP, RV, RP/G, Secrétariat	The CCNR charges its Police and Inspection Regulations Committees […] to continue, under their own responsibility, drafting the lists of competent authorities required by the aforementioned Regulations, of authorised devices, and of approved specialist companies, to have the CCNR Secretariat publish the lists, and to notify any changes to them to the CCNR, […]	2007-II-24

Collaboration between the CCNR and the European Commission

In developing RIS, the CCNR strives to work closely with the European Commission. The work carried out by the CCNR and the standards adopted by the CCNR form an important basis for Directive 2005/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on harmonised river information services (RIS) on inland waterways in the Community. The CCNR, in turn, adapts the standards that are approved by the CCNR as far as possible to the specifications adopted in the framework of the Community Directive.