European Union EU

European Council

In June 2006, the EU Transport Council urged the EU Member States “to provide adequate infrastructure by improving the multi-modal network and by implementing River Information Services on those inland waterways within the scope of EU RIS Directive (2005/44/EC)”.
The Council also invited the EU Member States “to actively develop projects that promote viable inland waterway transport services, including projects supported by Community programmes such as TEN-T (Trans European Network-Transport)” The European Commission was requested “to insert RIS as part of the Multi-annual Indicative Programme (MIP) of TEN-T”.
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/transport/inland/index_en.htm

European Commission 

The “Transport Policy for 2010: time to decide clearly identifies that the use of high capacity navigation information systems will greatly improve reliability and efficiency of inland navigation as a means of transport. The EC mid-term revision of the White Paper, June 2006, pointed out the necessity to

• to “continue implementation of intelligent mobility programs for waterborne transport (RIS)” and
• to “start the implementation of the European Action Plan (2006-2013) on the Promotion of Inland Waterway Transport (NAIADES)”.

Corrnerstone of the EU policy on inland waterways transport is the NAIADES Communication of 2006. (www.-naiades.info). The NAIADES policy pursues the implementation of River Information Services as one of the key measures to provide adequate transport infrastructure. To execute the NAIADES policy the PLATINA consortium was launched on 2 June 2008 for a 4 years period (www.naiades.info)

RIS Committee and RIS Expert Groups

The European Commission (EC) has installed the RIS Committee, an advisory Committee, in line with Council directive 91/672/EEC, Decision 1999/468/EC and in accordance with Article 11 of the RIS directive 2005/44/EC.
The RIS Committee assists the EC on:

• development of the RIS guidelines and technical specifications,
• amendments of the annexes of the RIS directive,
• implementation of River Information Services in the member States.

The RIS directive provides the basis for the development of EC Regulations on technical specifications for Inland ECDIS, NtS, ERI and Vessel Tracking and Tracing systems. In order to develop these specification the RIS expert groups are requested to provide proposals for EU legislation to the RIS Committee in the areas of standardization, harmonization and maintenance of the RIS technologies.
All Expert Groups operate as a non governmental, independent body of advising experts (a platform) without any legal status.