On the 18th of March 2025, MEPs on the Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN) of the European Parliament adopted their position on new river information services (RIS) rules for the EU’s inland waterways. These include standards for services to ensure safety, efficiency and environmental protection, such as notices to skippers and vessel tracking. The review was prompted by the current slow and fragmented deployment of harmonised RIS.
One platform
To facilitate communication about traffic and transport management, TRAN MEPs support further RIS digitalisation through a single digital platform to replace the multiple bilateral channels currently used. MEPs also want the platform to be open to third countries whose waterways are connected to those of the EU, provided they meet data quality and cybersecurity requirements.
EU value added
To avoid additional bureaucracy, the Committee would prefer the scope of the rules to remain unchanged, and apply only to inland waterways and ports that are part of a cross-border network. The Commission’s proposal is to apply the new rules to all trans-European inland waterways, even those limited to one member state.
More say for inland waterway users
Transport MEPs are in favour of an effective, simple, and accessible procedure to handle complaints arising from the application of EU rules. This would help defend the interests of river information services users and flag implementation challenges.
EP rapporteur Tom Berendsen (EPP, NL) said: “’The EU rules on River Information Services should constitute a perfect example of European cooperation. It enables the flow of goods and takes down administrative borders within our Single Market. In reality, it also shows the shortcomings of our actual cooperation: implementation is lagging behind and too many administrative borders remain in place. Therefore, we aim to cut red tape and make the directive user-friendly and more effective, for instance by focussing on cross-border waterways that are connected to the rest of the TEN-T network and by building on existing complaint mechanisms.”
Next steps
The draft rules on RIS were approved by 37 votes to two. Transport MEPs also agreed, by 36 votes to two, to start talks with member states on the final shape of the text, once the report has been given the green light during the April plenary session.
Background
The EU’s interconnected waterway network stretches over 13,000 km, covering 13 member states and serving over 250 inland ports in Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, France, Croatia, Luxembourg, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.
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