Tide turns for inland waterways

Date: 30/01/1997

THE European Commission is taking a lead in boosting inland shipping, but appears to be going with the flow on coastal cargoes.

At the end of last year, a wave of Commission proposals aimed at aiding inland waterway haulage were cleared by transport ministers. By comparison, coastal shipping seems becalmed.

Inland shipping companies in Belgium, France and the Netherlands face a competitive revolution when Commission proposals come into effect in 2000. By that date, they will have to scrap the current 'taxi rank' system which forces clients to take the next boat in the line at nationally agreed rates.

Commission cash - 20 million ecu between 1996 and 1998 - and aid from national governments will help ease in the new regime by encouraging the scrapping or replacement of vessels. These incentives are expected to cut current inland capacity by 15&percent;.

New rules will allow private and state-owned companies to get 50&percent; of their investments in terminal facilities covered by public funds.

The measures come at a time when the tide appears to have turned for the inland sector.

Inland waterways take about 10&percent; of the Union's freight traffic. That breaks down unevenly, with about 46&percent; of goods carried by water in the Netherlands, 15&percent; in Germany and 4&percent; in France.

Coastal shipping has maintained its 30&percent; market share of freight volume in the EU in the last few years with liner traffic showing the biggest increase. The Commission describes its role here as identifying problems and solutions, but admits its remit runs little further than that.

The European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA) bemoans the lack of clear traffic figures since the creation of a single market and says the

internal market has still to come to coastal shipping.