CCNR launches Observatory of European Inland Navigation: www.inland-navigation.org !

05.11.2014

Access to reliable and relevant information is essential for the smooth operation of inland navigation in Europe and for its sustainable development. To meet this growing demand, the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR) has now made the Observatory of European Inland Navigation available at www.inland-navigation.org.

The purpose of this online platform is to connect users with the information or body they specifically seek regarding inland navigation, and to do so as efficiently as possible. The Observatory of European Inland Navigation presents a general overview of the sector, covering topics involving infrastructures, crews and training courses, an analysis of the actual market, and also of sustainable development policies in the sector, innovations in development, and the legal framework governing river transport in Europe. The Observatory can be accessed by the general public as well as by crew members and decision-makers. Members of the public will find key information for an understanding of the prospects inland navigation has to offer. Crew members and both public and private decision-makers will find either the information they are looking for immediately, or will be redirected to the most relevant specialist Internet sites. Initially, the site will only be available in English, but the development of versions in Dutch, French and German is currently being investigated.

Putting the Observatory of European Inland Navigation online achieves the objective “Information” of the Vision 2018 determined by the CCNR in December 2013 with a view to ensuring the sustainable development of inland navigation in Europe, and follows on from the launch of the online databank of projects for the use of LNG in inland navigation, which received an enthusiastic welcome in October 2013. The databank was a pilot project; it now forms an integral part of the Observatory, under INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGIES> LNG.

It is intended that the Observatory of European Inland Navigation will evolve according to the requirements of stakeholders, and additional information will become available in the coming months and years. As of now, the CCNR invites those partners who wish to make their contribution to the Observatory to contact its Secretariat in order to look into the possibility of setting up a partnership. To pass on your opinions or information on your ideas for developing the Observatory of European Inland Navigation, please send an e-mail to the following address:c.hurbourque@ccr-zkr.org.