1. Austrian inland waterways management policy
Working Group on Rivers
Brussels, 19/02/2009

2. Presentation outline
Framework conditions in the field of inland waterways management policy
Relevant inland waterway transport policy instruments at European and national level
Examplary activities for the Austrian inland waterways management policy

3. Complex international framework conditions for inland waterways management policy
Transport
Community Guidelines for the Development of the Trans-European Transport Network (Decision No 884/2004/EC amending Decision No 1692/96/EC)
NAIADES – European Action Programme for inland waterway transport (COM(2006) 6)
Belgrade Convention regarding the regime of navigation on the Danube River
Environment - EU Directives
Water Framework Directive (EU WFD) (2000/60/EC)
Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC)
Birds Directive (79/409/EEC)
Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) Directive (2001/42/EC)
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) Directive (85/337/EEC)
Floods Directive (2007/60/EC)
Environment - International Conventions
Danube River Protection Convention, Bern Convention, Ramsar Convention, Espoo Convention, World Heritage Convention
Environment – Guidance document
Joint Statement on Guiding Principles on the Development of Inland Navigation and Environmental Protection in the Danube River Basin
Natura 2000 network

4. NAIADES and PLATINA - The European framework for the development of inland navigation
Platform for the implementation of NAIADES between 2008 and 2012, 7th Framework EU project, 22 partners from 9 European countries
NAIADES
Recommendation of the European Commission for actions on national and community level 2006 – 2013 on 17 January 2006
Auslöser: Große Donauregulierung (19 Jhdt.) und Kraftwerkskette an der Oberen Donau

5. Austrian Action Plan Danube Navigation (NAP)
Austrian implementation strategy of the European NAIADES Action Programme
Comprehensive and dynamic planning and decision-making instrument for the Austrian inland navigation policy until 2015
Catalogue of measures developed in cooperation with inland ports and the inland navigation sector
Auslöser: Große Donauregulierung (19 Jhdt.) und Kraftwerkskette an der Oberen Donau

6. NAP - Catalogue of measures
Auslöser: Große Donauregulierung (19 Jhdt.) und Kraftwerkskette an der Oberen Donau

7. Waterway administration & maintenance Development of inland navigation
via donau – The Austrian instrument for an inland waterways management policy
... the Austrian national waterway operation and development organisation
... owned by the Ministry of Transport Innovation and Technology
... responsible for 351 km of the Danube waterway
Waterway administration & maintenance
Traffic management
Development of inland navigation
River Engineering, Flood Protection, Renaturation, Hydrography, etc.
DoRIS Operation ("River Information Services"), Info Services for Inland Navigation, Lock Operation
Business, Policy, Technology Information & Communication

8. River Information Services
Telematics Systems and
Information Services
in order to increase the
safety and efficiency of
inland waterway transport
Auslöser: Große Donauregulierung (19 Jhdt.) und Kraftwerkskette an der Oberen Donau

9. RIS in Austria - DoRIS Services 2008
Electronic Navigational Charts Free of charge for the Austrian Danube (~360 rkm)
Notices to Skippers Electronically published
Tactical Traffic Information On board and in control centres (Inland AIS)
Water level information Relevant gauge values (NTS, Web, AIS, Phone)
Vessel position information via web interface for authorized users
Electronic lock diary for enhancing locking procedures and reducing waiting times
Auslöser: Große Donauregulierung (19 Jhdt.) und Kraftwerkskette an der Oberen Donau

10. Implementation status of RIS along the Danube (as of October 2008)
Project is funded by the European Commission (DG-TREN / TEN-T)
Electronic Navigational Charts
Electronic reporting
Tactical traffic information (test)
Notices to skippers
Hull Database
Electronic Navigational Charts
Electronic reporting (pilot)
Water level information (pilot)
Tactical Traffic Information (pilot)
Hull Database (pilot)
Notices to Skippers (pilot)
RIS Center
Int. data exchange (pilot)
Electronic Navigational Charts
Calamity abatement support
Water level information (pilot)
Electronic reporting (pilot)
Tactical traffic information
Notices to skippers (pilot)
RIS Center
Int. data exchange (pilot)
Electronic Navigational Charts
Water level information
Electronic reporting (pilot)
Tactical traffic information
Notices to Skippers
RIS Center
Hull Database (pilot)
Int. data exchange (pilot) DE UA
Electronic Navigational Charts
VTMIS for maritime Danube
Notices to Skippers (pilot)
Electronic reporting (in prep.)
Tactical traffic information (test)
Electronic Navigational Charts
Water level information
Tactical traffic information
Electronic Reporting (in prep.)
Notices to skippers
RIS Center
Int. data exchange (pilot)
Electronic Navigational Charts
Notices to Skippers
VTS centers along Danube
Full scale implementation in prep.
VTMIS Danube-Blacksea Canal
Electronic reporting (test)
AIS (maritime Danube)
Int. data exchange (in prep.)
Electronic Navigational Charts
Tactical traffic information (pilot)
Full scale implementation (in prep.)
Electronic Reporting (in prep.)
Notices to skippers
Int. data exchange (in prep.)
Electronic Navigational Charts
Tactical traffic information (test)
Electronic Reporting (in prep.)
Notices to skippers (pilot)
Hull database (in prep.)

11. Integrated River Engineering Project to the East of Vienna
Project area: stream-km 1.921, ,7 from the Freudenau Power Plant to the Austrian-Slowak border

12. Integrated River Engineering Project Aims and measures
Granulometric river bed improvement
AIMS
Improvement of
fairway
conditions
River bed stability
Low water regulation
Improvement of
ecological
functions
River bank restoration
Side arm reconnection

13. Pilot Project Witzelsdorf River bank restoration
Typical natural river bank after some months/years (depending on hydrological conditions).
Picture taken at the already completed river bank restoration
section Thurnhafen vis-à-vis Hainburg.
River bank before the construction work
River bank just after the construction work. The river will shape its new river bank for its own.

14. Pilot Project Witzelsdorf Reconstruction of low water regulation – innovative groynes
New groynes are downstream faced for redirecting the current to the river bank > higher dynamics at the river bank.
old groyne
new groyne

15. Pilot Project Witzelsdorf Lower but also effective groynes
Removal of an old groyne – note the height.
Lower new groyne at the same day / water level.
Effective under low water conditions only.

16. EU Water Framework Directive – Life nature project Wachau
Project objectives
Structuring the main current of the Danube
with gravel embankments and islands
Linking old tributaries to the Danube
Maintenance and management of dry
grasslands and grassy slopes
Improvement of semi-natural forests
Creation of a nature protection coordination body

17. EU Floods Directive: Machland – Nord Europes largest resettlement project
Resettlement of 260 buildings in the municipalities Mitterkirchen, Baumgarten, Berg, Saxen, St. Nikola, Grein (OÖ)
Resettlement of 70 buildings in the municipalities Au/Strengberg, Wallsee, Ardagger
Creation of retention areas
Machland – Nord region after the floodings in summer 2002

18. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
MR DI Dr. Leo GRILL and MR DI Reinhard Vorderwinkler
Bundesministerium Verkehr, Innovation und Technologie - bmvit
Department IV/W 3 – Federal Waterways (Grill)
Department IV/W 2 – Supreme Navigation Authority (Vorderwinkler)
Radetzkystraße 2, A1030 Wien
tel (Grill)
tel – (Vorderwinkler)