The European Shippers’ Council (ESC), together with a group of European organisations representing inland waterway transport, shipping, industry, ports, river cruising, and waterborne technology, has called on the European Commission to take urgent action over the growing disruption to navigation on the Danube in Hungary.
The organisations are concerned about Hungary’s plans for permanent river infrastructure measures, including a bottom sill, in response to energy security needs related to Paks. They warn that such a permanent intervention could have significant cross-border consequences for navigation, the movement of goods and people, and other uses of the Danube.
Since mid-August, inland waterway transport operators, shippers, supply chains and river cruise operators have faced major disruption in Hungary. The situation is being compounded by exceptionally low water levels, further affecting the reliability and resilience of European transport and supply chains.
The signatories are calling on the European Commission to engage immediately with the Hungarian authorities and affected Member States to ensure that measures taken in response to water-related or energy security challenges are proportionate, coordinated and take into account their wider cross-border impacts.
Looking ahead, the organisations also call for the future EU Climate Resilience Framework to provide for mandatory cross-border cooperation during water-related crises. This should help ensure that measures addressing one water use do not create negative cascading effects for transport, trade, agriculture, tourism, water and energy security, or the environment.
ESC and its partners stress that urgent action is needed to prevent the current disruption from developing into longer-term economic and operational consequences for the European Union.