For the next 10 years Austria's navigation policy will rely on the National Action Plan (NAP) on Danube Navigation – a dynamic planning and decision-making instrument that will determine Austrian waterway transport up to 2015. The plan is based on a package of measures which was drawn up upon the order of the Austrian Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology by via donau in close co-operation with all other relevant players of the field in 2005. The NAP stresses the importance of inland navigation for transport policy. Inland navigation was also made one of the core issues of Austria's EU Presidency in the first half of 2006.

Since the beginning of 2007 the implementation of the NAP is part of the current government programme. In May 2008 the actual implementation status was presented to the inland navigation sector and representatives of the industry and a corresponding report was published.      

The increasing importance of waterway transport also makes itself felt on a European level. In January 2006, for example, the European Commission introduced the NAIADES Action Programme to strengthen inland navigation throughout Europe. The NAP was therefore designed to realise the European targets on a national level and thus to set the course for Austria's navigation policy up to 2015.

For more information please click National Action Plan on Danube Navigation.