23rd International Danube Shipping and Tourism Conference "Tradition with a Vision" Belgrade, 3 rd -5 th December 2018 News from the Danube Commission Capt. Dr. Petar Margić, Director-General Danube Commission
DC workshop "Streamlining at the Danube" (29 September 2015) Key points: DANUBIAN AND INTER-REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES customs, border control, border police checks simplification of procedures by signing series of bilateral agreements between the neighboring countries (Hungary, Croatia and Serbia) improvement of collaboration between border police, customs and technical inspection agencies forming of the joint border crossing points to harmonize working hours and to speed up custom clearance process Commissioner Hahn: "The biggest loss of time and highest operational costs are related to three main areas: navigation surveillance, customs, border police." (Round Table "Industry meets Policy" 3 rd Annual Forum of EUSDR, Vienna, 27 June 2014) 2
TODAY'S CHALLENGES - maintenance - infrastructure - fairway parameters depth limitations - interruption of navigation - critical conditions flood, low water levels - environmental problems - old fleet - administrative barriers - security issues - economic efficiency Source: Danubius - Journal of Regional Cooperation 3
LOW WATER 2018 550 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Budapest, Vigadó Monthly water levels 241 211 217 172 172 151 116 89 61 59 39 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV Average Minimum Maximum Famine rock, Budapest Photo: Molnár Katalin, Hydroinfo Photo: http://iho.hu
LOW WATER 2018 Vág, Komárom, confluence to the Danube photo: Földes Zoltán
Design and approval planning for the development of the waterway and improvement flood protection of the Danube Straubing-Vilshofen subsection 2 (Deggendorf-Vilshofen: km2282,5-km2249,9) 6 DC EG SECURITY, 7/02/2018
Efficiency of Danube transport suffers extremely from reduced draught at shallow water sections water levels can not be predicted which creates losses of carriage capacity & revenues transport costs per ton can increase up to 100% for long distance transportation Guaranteed minimum standards for infrastructure based on UN/ECE AGN are needed; with regard to fairway this means for Danube: minimum draught of 2.5 m at least on 300 days on average per year These minimum standards can not be compensated by fleet innovation, adapt the vessels to the river and not the river to the vessels creates a dangerous fiction and ignores basic economic facts 7
Danube navigability in 2018 2018 <-- 1,6 1,6-->2,0 2,0-->2,5 2,5--> 117 23 44 125 32,1% 6,3% 12,1% 34,2% 8
Rhine navigability in 2018
Passenger transport trends Passenger transport on cabin vessels is the segment of Danube navigation that has seen the most dynamic development and continue a stable upward trend. On the Danube, this is apparent especially in the number of passenger cruise vessels: from 2010 to 2017, it increased by 70 units to 170 vessels. In 2017, passenger cruise vessels carried 595,5 thsd. passengers on the Upper Danube, corresponding to 105,4% of passenger traffic in 2016 ( a record number in the history of Danube navigation). A record number of passengers transported to the Danube delta 97,7 thsd., corresponding to 112,4% of 2016.
Passenger transport trends The greatest activity in passenger traffic was recorded in June, with an absolute maximum of passages during the observation period within the DC. In the first half of 2018, the following numbers of passages through the Gabčikovo lock were recorded for passenger vessels: - Vessels with a length of 110 m: 515 passages, amounting to 102.5% of the corresponding figure for 2017. - Vessels with a length of 135 m: 690 passages, amounting to 115.7% of the corresponding figure in 2017. 7% were vessels flying the flag of Germany; the remainder operated under the flags of non-member states of the DC. In total, vessels with a length of 135 m accounted for 42.4% of passenger transport.
Passenger transport trends (in thsd) Lines Upper Danube To the Danube delta Year 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Q 1 +Q 2 in % to Q 1 +Q 2 2017 493 486 534 564,7 595,5 245,5 112,3% 84 89 83 86,9 97,7 47,2 119%
Breakdown of passenger numbers on the Upper Danube by flag state Flag state 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Germany 17% 20% 16,5% 17,4% 15% 18,9% Bulgaria 6% 5% 6% 4,3% 6,9% 5,1% Ukraine 4,7% 2,5% 2% 1,8% 3,9% 5,0% Romania 6,2% 5,3% 3% 1,9% 1,3% - Non-members of the DC 60% 64% 72% 74% 70,5% 68,5%
Number of days in a year when water levels were below LNWL Gauging station/km 2018 2015 2011 2003 I-X Pfelling/2305,53 113 107 51 94 Devin/1879,80 66 37 104 Budapest/1646,50 65 60 29 76 Dunaföldvár/1650,60 79 41 35 Bezdan/1425,59 53 37 88 Smederevo/1116,23 116 52 91 Calafat/795,0 118 89 119
ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENT concerning a framework for cooperation between the Secretariat of the Danube Commission and the Directorate- General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission DG MOVE 24 July 2015 16 P 1. Follow up actions on the Implementation of a Master Plan for the rehabilitation and maintenance of the Danube River P 2. Contribution to the elaboration of technical standards for IWT vessels P 3. Elaboration of technical standards for navigation, in particular, infrastructure maintenance P 4. Market observation as regards the Danube Basin 16
AA / GRANT AGREEMENT 17 P 1. Common elaboration of standards GNS Corr. Group together with CCNR Security issues EG SEC, Rec, workshops, coop. DG MOVE, PA 1a & PA 11 CESNI particip. CESNI/QP and CESNI/PT CESNI e-platform for coordination Danube Commission hosts CESNI working group on Professional Qualifications, 11/05/2017 Prof.G.Skoff (DTC) DC EG SECURITY, 7/02/2018
AA / GRANT AGREEMENT 18 P 2. Hydro database for the Danube training seminars for DC MS; entry of data MS began uploading and testing the functionalities of the Water Viewer and the Time Series Editor Installation of WISKI ired reporting tool to create yearbooks out of database Support of TEN Tec tool for uploading Danube Fairway data WISKI ired reporting tool WISKI Water Viewer web-interface
AA / GRANT AGREEMENT 19 P 2. Hydro database for the Danube A.2.5 Implementation of an on-line service for navigation, stakeholders and interested persons; Design of a "River Survey tool" integrated on the website of the DC to provide interactive information about the conditions of the waterway Danube; Interactive Chart of the DC WISKI ired reporting tool Combination of WISKI data and GIS layers Combination of WISKI data and GIS layers from MS
AA / GRANT AGREEMENT 20 P 3. Develop. of tech advisory services for the implementation of the Danube part of the TEN-T Rhine Danube Corridor, projects to improve sustainable navigation conditions Mixed Environment Transport External Expert Team (METEET) on Integrated Planning of IWT In coop. with DG ENV, DG REGIO, DG MOVE, ISRBC and ICPDR JS activities
21 AA / GRANT AGREEMENT P 4. Market observation coop. with CCNR: joint quarterly and annual publications on market observation DC publications on MO in DE,FR,RU,EN Working meetings between DC/CCNR Secretariats
DC PROJECT PARTNER 22 DANTE - Improving Administrative Procedures and Processes for Danube IWT
Kick of meeting at the DC headquarters DANTE ( 17th February 2017) 23 PROJECT DATA: Start date 01-01-2017 End date 30-06-2019 Budget in Euro Overall: 1982786 FOCUS AREAS : Border Police, Tax & Customs Navigation / traffic control authorities Port authorities / administrations Waterway and Canal administrations Other relevant authorities imposing barriers (e.g. health control, disaster management, etc.)
DC PROJECT PARTNER 24 GRENDEL - Green and efficient Danube Fleet PROJECT DATA: Start date 01-06-2018 End date 30-11-2020 Budget in Euro Overall: 1,824,999.20 OBJECTIVES : Know-how transfer for Danube fleet operators Elaboration of innovative technical vessel concepts and improved transport & logistic management processes Supporting development of favorable regulatory framework & well-designed public support measures by introducing Model State Aid Scheme & innovative financial instruments
25 DC PROJECT OBSERVER Fairway Rehabilitation and Maintenance Master Plan EUSDR PA 1a Danube STREAM Smart, Integrated and Harmonized Waterway Management Danube Sediment Management Restoration of the Sediment Balance in the Danube Rive Danube SKILLS Transnational competences and skills in education and public development services GREEN Danube Integrated transnational policies and practical solutions for an environmentally-friendly IW Transport system
RECENT EVENTS 26 Danube Business Talks 2018, Vienna, 10-11/10/2018 Austrian Federal Minister Norbert Hofer: "The promotion of an efficient and sustainable European transport network can succeed only in an international common effort". 1 st Joint Meeting of CDNI and Danube Commission, Vienna, 31/10/2018 The first meeting of inland navigation waste experts from 10 member states of the Danube Commission and CDNI
RECENT EVENTS 27 Parliamentary Group on Inland Navigation in German Bundestag (PG BiSchi) Parliamentary evening Fresh breeze for inland navigation between river development and fleet renewal, Berlin, 7/11/2018 Conference Danube Commission 70 years Inland Navigation: Diagnosis, Institutions and Visions in Europe, IFAT HU, DC, MFA Hungary, Budapest, 13/11/2018 - discussion on the current shape and future of the Danube navigation - participants: high-level officials: IFAT HU, DC, MFA Hungary, Coordinator RD CNC, CCNR, ICPDR, EUSDR, shipping industry
FUTURE PERSPECTIVES 28 ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENT NEXT DC/DGMOVE EC GRANT AGREEMENT II 2019.. DC Short-term objectives DC Annual WORKPLAN DC Long-term objectives -?... forthcoming Strategic Directions for 2019-2021 developed by our Experts Revision of the Belgrade Convention
FUTURE PERSPECTIVES 29 Strategic Directions for 2019.. MAJOR OBJECTIVES FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS: I. Pro-Actively contribute to the International Integration in IWT II. Enhancement of River Infrastructure III. Ensuring High Standards of Safety of Navigation IV. Foster Security in Navigation V. Support Green Navigation on the Danube VI. Better Connectivity on the Danube VII. Development of the Danube Navigation Market VIII.Promote Digitalization of IWT
FUTURE PERSPECTIVES 30 Strategic Directions for 2019.. PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES: Promote technical safety, harmonize Regulations and develop a security system for European IWT Raise awareness of navigation on the Danube Support Programmes and macro - regional Strategies in IWT Changes in the environmental approach Develop Multimodality on the Danube Inland navigation development in the digital future Improve data exchange
To ensure continuity by maintaining DC expertise and strengthening its institutional capacity and Danube navigation 31 14th session Budapest, June 1956 90th anniversary session Belgrade, June 2018
RIVER HAS TO BE ADJUSTED TO VESSEL NOT VICE VERSA!!! Iron Gates (Djerdap High Dam) Source: https://danubeescape7g1.weebly.com Danubius - Journal of Regional Cooperation Gabcikovo dam system PROs - river navigation development - fresh water resource - flood protection - electricity - agriculture - economic benefits - locks construction Iron Gates I and II, Gabcikovo, Austrian and German locks system 32 Via donau
33 Thank you for your attention! Capt. Dr. Petar Margić Director-General Secretariat of the Danube Commission petar.margic@danubecom-intern.org H-1068 Budapest Benczur utca 25