via donau is a reliable partner of the European Union when it comes to elaborating strategies for a sustainable development of inland waterway transport. By carrying out targeted initiatives at European level, the company tries to improve the basic conditions for effective waterway management and for an innovative inland navigation sector in Austria. In order to achieve this objective, via donau coordinates its activities closely with the European Commission and the river commissions – particularly the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine and the Danube Commission.

The implementation platform PLATINA with more than 20 partners from nine countries, which is managed by via donau, supports the European Commission in the implementation of its NAIADES Action Programme. The project involves the EU Member States as well as the river commissions and the inland navigation sector. The goals and measures co-defined by via donau at European level constitute the framework for the work programme laid down in the National Action Plan on Danube Navigation (NAP).

Under the lead of the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology and via donau, the project IRIS Europe II aims at advancing the harmonised implementation of information services for inland navigation (River Information Services – RIS) in Europe. The purpose of this project is to achieve a geographical and functional extension of these services. The long-term objective is to implement RIS all along the Rhine-Main-Danube corridor, in order to improve the commercial usability of the services and to enhance safety on Europe’s waterways.

In the last few years, via donau has gathered extensive know-how and experience in the management of projects and the organisation of expert events at European level. The issues addressed by these projects and events range from education and training in inland waterway transport to innovations in ship technology and new strategies for sustainable river engineering. Within the framework of the European project PLATINA, for instance, a Manual of Good Practices in Sustainable Waterway Planning was published. In this publication the Integrative River Engineering Project to the East of Vienna once more was acknowledged as good practice due to its integrative planning process.