The Commission welcomes provisional agreement on modernising river information services in EU

The European Commission welcomes today’s provisional political agreement between the European Parliament and the Council to modernise traffic management on the EU’s rivers and canals.

This initiative follows up on the action plan to shift more cargo to inland waterways and will enhance the efficiency and reliability of navigation across Europe’s rivers, such as the Danube and the Rhine. Modern river information services (RIS) will make it easier for barge operators and skippers to communicate with ports and authorities, improving voyage planning and execution. This will help better integrate inland waterways into modern logistics and multimodal transport chains.

The new measure updates the 2005 Directive on river information services (RIS), including provisions on traffic information and management, on information on the condition of waterways and infrastructure, on voyage planning for skippers, and on reporting to authorities. RIS currently operates on around 13,000 km of interconnected waterways across 13 EU Member States.

Following today’s political agreement, the European Parliament and the Council will now formally adopt the new Regulation, which will enter into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the EU.

Background

The EU’s inland waterways stretch over 42,286 kilometres and are a key means of connecting seaports, cities and industrial centres. Transport by inland waterways is energy-efficient and almost congestion-free.

While the 2005 Directive improved harmonisation of river information services across the EU, it now requires updating to reflect implementation experience and to meet today’s needs – such as digitalisation, efficiency, sustainability, and competitiveness. The revised framework ensures harmonised technical standards and accessible data, meeting long-standing expectations from the inland waterway sector.