Danube STREAM

Danube STREAM – Smart, Integrated and Harmonized Waterway Management
Funding programme: Danube Transnational Programme (DTP)
Priority Area: PA 3 – Better connected and energy responsible Danube region
Specific Objective: SO 3.1 Support environmentally-friendly and safe transport systems and balanced accessibility of urban and rural areas
Project duration: 30 months (January 2017 - June 2019)
Project budget: ca. 2,2 MEUR
Funding rate: 85% (ERDF, IPA)
 
   As an environmentally-friendly and safe transport mode, inland waterway transport is important for the support of Europe's growth and competitiveness. The Danube Corridor is the transport backbone of 10 states in the Danube region which is home to 115 million inhabitants. The gradual integration of the Danube riparian states into the EU has led to the establishment of dynamic economic areas and trading links along the river. Unfortunately, the potential of the Danube as a waterway is not yet sufficiently exploited, which is, among other things, due to shortcomings in waterway management (e.g. in infrastructure maintenance and a lack of harmonized fairway information services).
   The main objective of Danube STREAM is harmonized, innovative, pro-active and effective waterway management along the Danube. Due to the linear transport structure of the waterway one single bottleneck with insufficient depth will limit the utilization for all transport routes passing this section. Only if a specific and harmonized quality of traffic infrastructure is available along the entire waterway corridor, the navigation industry will be able to offer reliable services and conduct cost-effective business.
   This objective will be reached through a harmonisation of operations, the provision of continuous strategic cooperation and the development of fairway information services.
   In addition to consolidating common standards and tools (e.g. related to navigational charts and accompanying information generation or new mobile application for the Danube Fairway Information Services web portal), results and outputs of Danube STREAM include user-oriented information services which enable rapid information transfer on the quality of the waterway's infrastructure. On the strategic level, cooperation with stakeholders (ecology, navigation) and coordination with the political level (EUSDR) are project activities (e.g. joint interactions regarding environmentally-friendly waterway management with Protected Areas administrations).
   The project will consolidate the quality of waterway infrastructure and waterway maintenance, resulting in a higher utilization of waterway transport in the region.

Danube STREAM contributes to bring these policies into life based on:
- The first Priority Area of the Strategy of the European Union for the Danube Region is dealing with mobility and transport, with Priority Area 1a being specifically set up to tackle challenges in the inland waterways. Danube STREAM is designed in such a way as to contribute to one of the main targets of the EUSDR's PA 1a, i.e., to "solve obstacles to navigability, taking into account the specific characteristics of each section of the Danube and its navigable tributaries and establish effective waterway infrastructure management". A second target of PA 1a, i.e. "to increase the cargo transport on the river by 20% by 2020 compared to 2010", is reflected in the methodology of the project.
 - Better connected territories are one of the main aims of the territorial cohesion policy. On the outskirts of the European Union the Danube is seen more as a barrier than a possibility for transport and growth. The project outputs will provide a framework for the growth of waterborne transport in the region, which is the most environmentally-friendly transport mode, contributing to lower greenhouse gas emission as one of the five main targets of the Europe 2020 strategy.
- The NAIADES II Action Programme intends to reach quality infrastructure in waterborne transport, which ensures good navigation status. The project will undertake actions with regards to further developments in waterway management and maintenance on the Danube and its main navigable tributaries.
- The Water Framework Directive will be followed in respect to the River Basin Management Plans; Danube STREAM will give the possibility to interested parties to express their views on specific project topics.

   From the 10 Danube riparian countries, partners from 8 countries will be part of Danube STREAM. 7 of the 8 countries will act as project partners (Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria), while Germany will be involved as Associated Strategic Partner (ASP).
   Danube STREAM will benefit both the public and private sector. Beneficiaries of project results in the public sector include waterway administrations, lock operators, RIS operators, navigation authorities, ministries and international commissions. Here, both the areas of transport and environmental protection are covered, as the partnership will closely work with the Protected Areas along the Danube.
   Stakeholders of highest relevance for the project are navigation companies using the waterway as a transport route and operating in the private sector. Other stakeholders from the private sector which will also benefit from the improvements of the project are logistics and shipping companies as well as port operators.

Contact data:
Administration of Navigable Canals SH Constanta, 1 Ecluzei Agigea Street, Contact Person: Moren Abdurafi, Phone: +407 32 669 661, Email: mabdurafi[@]acn[.]ro

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