Current issues of inland water transport in Europe Available to Purchase

Inland waterways account for nearly 6% of Europe's transport, with traffic focused on the rhine, Danube, Elbe and Oder river basins. It offers a more environmentally friendly, safe and cost-effective alternative to road transport – as well as a very reliable one – but remains significantly underused. The European Commission adopted a programme for promoting inland water transport in January 2006, including modernising infrastructure and creating efficient links among the various river basins and effective integration in the modal chain. However, as this paper reports, the river commissions rather than Brussels remain the primary drivers for change.