Developing EU waterborne passenger transport

The waterborne transport sector offers many opportunities, in terms of greening and economic development, for the transport of passengers in the European Union. A European Parliament own-initiative report on unleashing the potential of ferries in coastal areas and inland waterways aims at raising the focus on waterborne passenger transport (WPT) on the transport policy agenda.

The own-initiative report (rapporteur Keith Taylor, Greens/EFA, United Kingdom), to be debated during the
November I 2016 plenary session, clarifies the European Parliament’s position and is envisaged as an impetus for
the creation of a single area for waterborne passenger transport with the horizontal goal of, simplifying the
administrative burden for cross-border passenger shipping. Within the Committee on Transport and Tourism, the
draft report was widely supported, and approved with 42 Members voting in favour.

Authors: Marketa Pape, with Thijs Vandenbussche