Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on harmonised River Traffic Information Services on inland waterways in the Community
Date: 2004-05-25
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European Union, harmonisation of standards, information network, information technology, inland waterway shipping, network of navigable waterways, transport policy

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 25.05.2004 
COM(2004) 392 final 

2004/0123 (COD) 

Proposal for a 

DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL  

on harmonised River Traffic Information Services on inland waterways in the 
Community 

(presented by the Commission) 

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1. 

INTRODUCTION  

The  introduction  of  new  technologies  in  inland  navigation  began  in  the  last  decades  of  the 
20th  century  with  the  development  of  radiotelephone  services  on  inland  waterways.  This 
allowed  both  ship/shore  and  ship/ship  contact  for  the  arrangement  of  passing  manoeuvres. 
The subsequent development of high resolution radar for inland navigation and the equipping 
of  the  waterways  with  radar  reflectors  on  buoys  and  beacons  permitted  navigation  in  poor 
visibility.  For  difficult  traffic  situations,  traffic  centres  have  been  established  in  which  the 
traffic is monitored by means of shore radar stations.  

Nowadays, advanced ICT (Information and Communication) technologies find their way also 
into inland waterway transport. For the use onboard, PCs that are connected to the Internet via 
mobile communication, as well as satellite positioning-fixing systems, electronic navigational 
charts and transponders are being developed and implemented. On shore, radar stations with 
target  tracking,  as  well  as  ship  reporting  systems  with  interconnected  databases  are  being 
installed.  

Each of these technical systems is capable of supporting several inland navigation services. In 
order to ensure interoperability between services on a national but also European level and to 
promote  cross-border  inland  waterway  transport  (IWT),  the  new  information  services  and 
their supporting technologies need to be European-wide harmonised. 

The role of Inland Navigation  

Europe has over 30,000 km of canals and rivers that link together hundreds of key towns and 
areas  of  industrial  concentration.  The  core  network  of  around  10,000  km  connects  the 
Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany and Austria. Although the backbone of 
this network is constituted by major rivers such as the Rhine and the Danube, many branches 
in the form of tributaries and canals connect a variety of smaller towns and industrial centres. 
A  considerable  number  of  ports  along  the  network  provide  access  to  and  links  with  other 
modes of transport. 

Despite the availability of this network, inland waterways still have a huge capacity that is not 
fully  exploited.  Freight  transport  by  inland  waterways  accounts  for  7%  of  the  total  inland 
transport  (surface  transport)  of  the  EU-15  countries,  nine  of  which  have  IWT  of  some 
importance, equal to 125 billion tonne-kilometres in 2000, whereas road and rail carry 80% 
and 13% respectively. The share of IWT in total surface transport has declined steadily from 
12% in 1970 to the 7% mentioned in 2000, although its traffic volume has increased in that 
period of 30 years from 102 bn to 125 bn tonne-kilometres (+18%). 

The  picture  is  slightly  different  when  considering  the  EU  Member  States  with  inland 
waterways, in which 12% of the freight is carried by inland navigation. In some regions, e.g. 
in the hinterland of seaports, such as in Benelux and in Northern France, the modal share of 
inland  waterway  transport  is  much  higher  and reaches  43%  in  the  Netherlands  compared  to 
14% in Germany and 12% in Belgium.  

In the EU accession countries, a total of 8.5 billion tonne-kilometres were transported in 1999, 
in  particular  on  the  Danube.  The  overall  modal  share  of  IWT  in  the  Accession  Countries 

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(Danube  countries)  is  similar  to  the  ones  in  some  Member  States.  Whilst  in  Romania  and 
Slovakia IWT totals 9%, it accounts for 6% in Hungary, 3% in Bulgaria and 2% in the Czech 
Republic.  

The  White  Paper  and  advanced  information  and  communication  technologies  on  inland 
waterways 

The  European  Commission  recognises  the  great  potential  of  inland  navigation  as  an 
alternative  transport  mode  for  freight  transport.  Inland  waterway  transport  is  known  to  be 
often  cheaper,  more  economical,  reliable  and  more  environmentally-friendly  than  other 
modes.  

Facing  tremendous  capacity  and  environmental  problems  in  the  land  transport  modes,  in 
particular  road  transport,  the  European  transport  policy  consequently  has  a  great  interest  in 
developing  inland  waterway  transport  to  become  a  real  alternative  whilst  keeping  the 
environmental burden to a minimum.  

The  European  Commission  is  not  only  interested  in  boosting  the  use  of  inland  waterway 
transport  as  an  alternative  transport  mode,  but  in  making  it  a  key  mode  in  the  European 
intermodal  transport  system,  as  set  out  in  the  White  Paper  "European  Transport  Policy  for 
2010:  time  to  decide"1.  As  part  of  this  concept,  the  Commission  proposes  to  link  inland 
waterways into rail and short sea transport systems, providing an accessible, economical, safe 
and environmentally friendly alternative to the unsustainable and congested road network.  

The  Commission  aims  to  create  favourable  conditions  for  the  further  development  of  the 
sector and to encourage business to use this mode of transport. As part of the White Paper’s 
strategy  it  is  committed  to  further  assist  the  sector  in  adapting  to  new  market  needs.  It 
strongly encourages the deployment of modern information and communication technologies 
(ICT),  with  the  particular  aim  of  improving  traffic  and  transport  management  on  inland 
waterways.  

With regard to inland waterway transport the White Paper prescribes “the installing of highly 
efficient  navigational  aid  and  communication  systems  on  the  inland  waterway  network”  in 
order  to  make  this  mode  of  transport  still  more  reliable,  efficient  and  accessible.  The 
European  Parliament  resolution  on  the  Commission  White  Paper  European  transport  policy 
for  20102  “ […]  considers  the  creation  of  high-performance,  geographically  comprehensive 
information  systems  on  inland  waterways  to  be  extremely  important  in  this  connection  and 
calls  on  the  Commission  to  submit  a  proposal  as  soon  as  possible  for  harmonised  technical 
provisions towards the implementation of River Information Services (RIS)”. 

The importance of RIS for Inland Navigation  

The River Information Services concept, which represents the most substantial change in the 
sector  in  several  decades,  aims  at  the  implementation  of  information  services  in  order  to 
support the planning and management of traffic and transport operations. The implementation 
of RIS will not only improve safety and efficiency in traffic but simultaneously enhance the 
efficiency and security of transport operations.  

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White Paper European transport policy for 2010: time to decide, European Communities 2001 
A5-0444/2002 (OJ …) 

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RIS facilitates the tasks of the competent authorities, in particular traffic management and the 
monitoring  of  hazardous  goods.  Through  the  provision  of  data  to  skippers,  it  improves  the 
basis  for  immediate  navigational  decisions.  Safety  and  environmental  protection  will  be 
enhanced through better information and reduced reaction times in emergencies.  

RIS  supports  the  inland  waterway  transport  sector  in  coming  into  line  with  modern 
developments in logistics and supply chain management, and thus facilitates the integration of 
inland  waterway  transport  into  the  intermodal  transport  chain  which  is  a  prerequisite  for  a 
higher modal share for inland waterway transport.  

RIS  has  to  be  seen  as  a  major  step  forward,  turning  inland  waterway  transport  into  a 
transparent, reliable, flexible and easy-to-access transport mode. Together with cost-effective 
and  environmentally-friendly  logistics  operations,  the  development  of  RIS  makes  inland 
waterway transport attractive to modern supply chain management. 

RIS is important for the entire European inland waterway sector. The revitalisation of inland 
waterway transport through the implementation of RIS is of special interest with respect to the 
enlargement of the European Union towards Central and Eastern European countries.  

2. 

POLICY CONTEXT 

Given  the  positive  contribution  of  inland  navigation  to  the  achievement  of  transport  policy 
objectives  as  highlighted  by  the  White  Paper,  the  development  of  RIS  is  reflected  upon  in 
European policies and is as well strongly supported by international bodies and institutions.  

Decision N° 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on 
Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network states in 
Article  11  (4)  that  the  inland  waterway  network  and  inland  ports  shall  include  the  ‘traffic 
management  infrastructure’.  According  to  Annex  II,  Section  4  of  the  Decision,  signalling, 
guidance and communication systems for inland waterway vessels shall be deemed as projects 
of  common  interest  and  thus  be  eligible  for  TEN  funding.  In  this  framework,  a  feasibility 
study for the implementation of RIS on the Danube in Austria was co-funded in 2001. 

The  proposal  for  a  Decision  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  amending 
Decision  N°  1692/96/EC  on  Community  guidelines  for  the  development  of  the  trans-
European transport network (COM (2001) 544 final) stipulates as priority in Article 5 (f) the 
“deployment of interoperable intelligent transport systems to optimise the capacity of existing 
infrastructure and improve safety”. 

In its report of 27 June 2003, the High Level Group on the trans-European Transport network 
welcomes  the  Commission’s  intention  to  propose  a  framework  directive  to  ensure  the 
interoperability of the communication system on the Community inland waterways.3  

The Declaration of European Ministers of Transport signed in Rotterdam in September 2001 
calls  upon  Member  and  Accession  States  to  implement  pan-European  River  Information 
Services by the year 2005. 

3 

Van Miert Report 

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In  the  session  of  the  Transport  Council  of  9  October  2003,  the  Netherlands,  supported  by 
other Member States, welcomed the Commission’s initiative to put forward a proposal for a 
Directive on River Information Services. 

The development of RIS is also recognised and fostered by the River Commissions as well as 
by  the  International  Association  for  Navigation  (PIANC).  A  number  of  important 
organizational  and  standardization  prerequisites  have  been  developed.  In  2002  PIANC 
compiled  RIS  Guidelines  on  the  basis  of  the  results  of  different  European  research  and 
development  projects.  These  RIS  Guidelines  2002  were  formally  adopted  by  the  Central 
Commission for the Navigation on the Rhine in May 2003.  

A  standard  concerning  an  Electronic  Chart  Display  and  Information  System  for  Inland 
Navigation (Inland ECDIS) has been drafted by  an Expert Group  in the  context  of INDRIS 
(Inland Navigation Demonstrator for River Information Services) and was formally adopted 
by the Central Rhine Commission and the Danube Commission in 2001.  

In 2002 the UN/ECE Working party on Inland Waterway Transport adopted by Resolution N° 
48  a  Recommendation  on  Electronic  Chart  Display  and  Information  System  for  Inland 
Navigation  (Inland  ECDIS)  and  is  considering  the  establishment  of  common  principles  and 
technical requirements for a Pan-European River Information Service (RIS). 

3. 

DEVELOPMENT OF RIS UNTIL TODAY  

National  stand-alone  telematic  services  have  been  developed  since  the  late  1980s.  The 
challenge facing the inland waterway transport sector lies in integrating those various services 
and systems into a single common operational concept.  

State of the Art in Member States 

In the following a number of examples of national RIS applications are given. An extensive 
description of the numerous existing national RIS applications can be found in the state of the 
art report produced by the fifth Framework Programme RTD project COMPRIS.4 

The  German  fairway  information  system  ARGO  (Advanced  River  Navigation)  provides 
inland waterway skippers with data on the fairway and on actual water depths in real time on 
Inland ECDIS maps. It consists of three components: an electronic navigational chart (ENC), 
a  radar  image  and  water  depth  information  for  critical  stretches.  Through  a  DGPS 
(Differential Global Positioning System) receiver it is possible to display the position of the 
skipper’s own vessel very accurately on the image. The system is operational on the Rhine.  

The BICS (Barge Information and Communication System) has been primarily developed for 
reporting the transport of dangerous goods. Such EDI-messages (Electronic Data Interchange) 
from skippers to the authorities can be received in the Dutch IVS90 system and the German 
MIB/MOVES  systems.  BICS  permits  detailed  information  exchange  about  the  cargo  and 
planned  loading  and  unloading  points  during  the  voyage.  These  data  are  transmitted  by  PC 
and  mobile  telephone  to  the  various  waterway  and  port  authorities.  The  standards  used 
include  EDIFACT  (Electronic  Data  Interchange  For  Administration,  Commerce  and 
Transport)  as  well  as  standardised  protocols.  Previously  this  information  had  usually  been 

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http://www.euro-compris.org 

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exchanged orally by phone, and/or by fax. Data only have to be declared once, on departure of 
the vessel. Data are also stored for statistical purposes. BICS has been operational since 1996. 
It covers Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland and the Netherlands. 

BIVAS  (Binnenvaart  Intelligent  Vraag  en  Aanbod  Systeem)  is  an  interactive  internet  site 
where  supply  and  demand  for  freight  can  be  matched  (cargo  and  fleet  management).  It 
presents the demand for transport as well as the supply of vessel capacity, and thus establishes 
the  contact  between  skipper  and  shipper.  When  changes  are  made  to  the  cargo  offered,  the 
skipper receives an SMS notification message. The actual negotiations are left to the market 
parties  themselves.  The  system  does  not  support  the  commercial  process  itself.  It  has  been 
tested, but not (yet) implemented.  

DoRIS  (Danube  River  Information  Services)  automatically  generates  traffic  information  by 
means of AIS  (Automatic  Identification Systems) transponders. The tactical traffic image is 
currently  being  tested  for  use  by  waterway  authorities  and  skippers.  Additionally,  DoRIS 
offers  opportunities  for  transport  management,  lock  management  (provision  of  ETA 
(estimated time of arrival) data to plan lock schedules), navigation (supporting the skipper in 
his nautical decisions by providing positioning data on an electronic navigational chart) and 
calamity  abatement  (by  monitoring  vessels  carrying  dangerous  goods).  All  traffic  data  are 
stored in a central database. In the event of an accident, these data can be retrieved for risk 
analysis  purposes.  The  data  can  also  be  used  for  statistical  analyses.  For  commercial  users' 
needs  a  web  interface  as  well  as  an  XML  (eXtensible  Markup  Language)  interface  are 
provided  for  direct  connection  of  authorised  external  logistics  servers.  The  test  centre  has 
been  operational  since  2002;  the  test  stretch  currently  covers  33km  within  Austria,  with 
planned connections to the rest of the Danube in Austria. 

ELWIS  is  the  fully  operational  German  Electronic  Waterway  Information  System,  which 
provides  a  series  of  (fairway)  information  services  that  are  relevant  to  the  inland  waterway 
sector. The website contains notices to skippers, actual and forecast water levels and draughts, 
information on ice, addresses of authorities, traffic statistics and legal regulations. 

IBIS (Informatiesysteem Binnenscheepvaart) is a centralised database system which registers 
all  operations  and  inputs  of  the  inland  navigation  attendants.  It  enables  waterway 
administrators  to  deliver  navigation  licences,  locate  ships  within  their  territory  and  collect 
data  on  inland  navigation.  The  delivery  of  navigation  licences,  which  is  a  statutory 
requirement, takes place near certain locks. IBIS is further able to calculate the estimated time 
of  arrival  (ETA)  of  a  ship  at  e.g.  locks  or  bridges.  With  this  information  the  lock  operator 
gains a perception of the upcoming traffic and can start to arrange the lock chamber. In the 
event  of  an  accident,  the  type  of  cargo  can  be  looked  up  in  the  system  and  serve  as 
information  for  the  rescue  operation.  The  collected  data  can  be  converted  into  useful 
information,  e.g.  for  transport  management  purposes.  Policymakers  use  the  statistical 
overviews for infrastructure planning (identification of bottlenecks, improvement of fairway, 
etc.)  as  well  as  to  fulfil  international  obligations  for  data  collection  and  to  report  to  the 
National Statistical Institute. IBIS has been operational since 1999. 

GWS (Geautomatiseerd Waterbeheer en Scheepvaartsturing) is a Flemish project in which the 
various  waterway  administrations  are  cooperating.  It  encompasses  two  main  activities:  the 
setup  and  realisation  of  a  reliable  telematics  network,  and  the  managing  and  processing  of 
data  of  common  interest  and  related  to  the  different  aspects  of  water  management.  GWS 
covers  functions  such  as  traffic  support;  a  digital  inland  navigation  market  (supply  and 
demand),  automated  water  management;  registration  of  hydrological  (and  related)  data, 

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remote  control  of  constructions  (barrages,  outlet  sluices,  …),  collecting  data  useful  for 
authorities  and  third  parties,  data  communication  as  well  as  data  management  and  data 
processing. 

GINA  (Gestion  Informatisée  de  la  Navigation)  is  a  reporting  application  for  Wallonia 
dedicated to the invoicing of navigation fees and the generation of statistics. It also comprises 
lock pre-announcement functions. The system has been operational since 1986. 

IVS90  is  a  ship  reporting  system  used  by  the  Dutch  waterway  authorities  supporting  lock 
planning, vessel traffic services (VTS), calamity abatement and statistics. The data registered 
in IVS90 include the vessel data (name, registry number (Europa number), deadweight, length 
and  beam  dimensions,  owner)  and  specific  trip  data  (draught,  height  of  cargo,  number  of 
personnel  on  board,  port  of  departure  and  destination,  planned  route,  cargo-specific  data). 
These  data  are  automatically  transmitted  between  locks  and/or  regional  VTS  centres.  Data 
only  need  to  be  entered  once  by  the  skipper  at  the  beginning  of  the  voyage,  by  means  of 
marine  VHF  radio,  mobile  phone,  fax  or  EDI.  The  system  can  be  used  for  electronic  data 
transmission and has been operational since 1994. 

(Melde-  und 

MIB/MOVES 
Informationssystem  Binnenschifffahrt/Mosel  Verkehrs-
erfassungssystem) The German MIB and MOVES services are comparable with IVS90. MIB 
is used to register and monitor transports of dangerous goods as well as vessel combinations 
of  certain  dimensions  and  exceptional  transports.  The  VTS  centre  at  the  start  of  the  trip 
registers  all  safety-related  data,  which  are  transmitted  to  all  competent  authorities  along  the 
journey.  In  the  event  of  an  accident,  the  data  are  sent  to  the  rescue  forces  and  the  police. 
MOVES has been operational on the Moselle since 2001. The data of ships passing the locks 
are registered including the passing time and are transmitted to the next lock according to the 
voyage  of  the  ship.  In  MIB  as  well  as  MOVES,  skippers  may  use  the  BICS  programme  to 
transmit data to the MIB/MOVES database, skippers can also report using VHF radio or fax. 

NIF (Nautischer  Informations-Funk) is the German VHF  service used to transmit messages 
related  to  water  levels,  high-water  notifications,  water  level  predictions,  ice  and  mist 
messages  as  well  as  police  messages.  Additionally,  it  can  be  used  to  receive  or  broadcast 
information in cases of emergency.  

The  RIS  applications  used  on  the  Lake  Saimaa  (Finland)  comprise  a  complete  package  of 
RIS services, from fairway information services to waterway infrastructure charges. The 814 
km  long  waterway  network  is  equipped  with  eight  VHF  radio  stations  as  well  as  eight  AIS 
stations.  These  are  linked  to  the  VTS  traffic  centre,  which  provides  information  services  to 
vessels  in  the  network.  Vessel  traffic  movements  can  be  monitored  in  real-time.  The  traffic 
centre  can  also  operate  (remote  control)  all  eight  locks  and  seven  bridges  along  the  canal. 
Apart from AIS and VHF it uses GPS and Inland ECDIS. 

STIS (Shipping and Transport Information Services) is meant as an overall architecture which 
should  be  used  by  various  RIS  applications  for  various  stakeholders.  It  intends  to  make 
compatible  the  numerous  stand-alone  applications  available  now  and  in  the  future.  The 
following  system  components  were  planned  to  be  finalised  by  the  end  of  2003:  a  business 
plan,  standards  and  protocols  for  data  exchange  and  communication,  a  system  architecture, 
and a prototype for a nautical-geographical database (Inland ECDIS). The exploratory phase 
was finished in December 2002.  

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VNF2000  is  a  French  information  network  used  to  invoice  navigation  tolls  and  to  produce 
traffic statistics. VNF2000+ will allow companies and ship owners to declare their transports 
by EDI messages and abandon paper. VNF uses the Dutch BICS for transmission. VNF2000 
has been operational since 2000, VNF2000+ finalisation is planned for March 2005. 

Research, technological development and implementation 

In  order  to  counterbalance  the  patchwork  development  of  services  and  applications  and  to 
ensure  their  interoperability,  substantial  RTD  activities  have  been  undertaken  in  the  area  of 
RIS since the late 1990s. The 4th Framework Programme project INDRIS (Inland Navigation 
Demonstrator  for  River  Information  Services)  which  lasted  from  1998  until  2002  can  be 
considered  as  the  starting  point  for  the  development  of  the  European  RIS  concept.  INDRIS 
described the functions of RIS for all potential users, specified relevant information processes 
and developed open standards for information content and communication between public and 
private parties. INDRIS was a joint venture between national public authorities, the transport 
industry,  the  ICT  industry  and  research  institutes  from  Austria,  Germany,  Belgium,  France 
and the Netherlands. 

Currently,  the  COMPRIS  project  (Consortium  Operational  Management  Platform  River 
Information Services – start 2002) within the 5th Framework Programme aims to finalise the 
development of a technical, organisational and functional architecture for River Information 
Services  on  a  pan-European  level  as  well  as  to  develop  and  enhance  further  standards  and 
applications  for  information  exchange  in  order  to  prepare  for  the  implementation  of  RIS  on 
the  most  important  European  waterways.  COMPRIS  should  mark  the  final  phase  of  RIS 
development  before  large-scale  implementation,  having  close  relations  to  national  RIS 
projects and initiatives. 

In parallel to the research work, first steps were undertaken towards implementation. Some of 
the national applications mentioned already meet harmonisation requirements either because 
they  are  direct  results  of  European  research  activities,  or  because  they  are  currently  being 
developed taking into account the results of the research. 

Further, the European RIS Platform (ERISP) has been established. The platform is set up for 
participation  of  all  European  (EU  and  Non-EU)  national  authorities  responsible  for  and 
actively  involved  in  the  development  and  implementation  of  RIS.  The  platform  aims  at  the 
exchange of knowledge on RIS and at promoting the harmonised development of RIS. 

4. 

THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THE DIRECTIVE 

Many  existing  RIS  applications  have  been  developed  independently  of  each  other.  There  is 
therefore a clear danger of an emerging patchwork of miscellaneous RIS applications. This is 
not desirable from a European policy point of view, or from the point of view of the inland 
waterways transport sector itself. This leads to a strong demand for further co-ordination and 
harmonisation at a joint level. 

Applications need to be interoperable and compatible at national as well as European level to 
allow  for  continuous  cross-border  traffic  without  technical  obstacles.  Accordingly,  data 
exchange and communication need to be harmonised at European level in order to facilitate 
the interoperability of the entire system (applications, technologies etc.). 

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Users as well as manufacturers of hardware and software require a certain level of ‘security’ 
with respect to the services to be expected, and equipment to buy and to manufacture. 

The self-regulatory approach pursued so far by the Member States is no longer sufficient and 
calls for a legal framework at European level.  

The  decisions  of  the  River  Commissions  are  not  binding  and  are  regionally  limited.  Apart 
from the European Union there is no institution which can establish the (technical) framework 
conditions for successful European implementation of RIS. 

5. 

THE AIMS OF THE DIRECTIVE 

The Directive aims at a Europe-wide framework for the implementation of the RIS concept in 
order  to  ensure  compatibility  and  interoperability  between  current  and  new  RIS  systems  at 
European level and to achieve effective interaction between different information services on 
waterways.  By  this  means,  European  suppliers  of  equipment  will  be  encouraged  to  produce 
hardware and software for RIS at reasonable and affordable costs and to perceive European 
RIS technology as a market opportunity.  

In  accordance  with  the  principle  of  subsidiarity,  the  use  of  a  (framework)  directive  is 
considered  to  be  the  most  appropriate  form  to  achieve  the  intended  purpose.  The  technical 
details and standards for the implementation, however, will be adopted by the Commission in 
cooperation with the Member States by means of a committee procedure. 

The RIS concept 

The RIS concept is composed of advanced services and functionalities which are supported by 
various technologies. The provision of these services leads to both operational benefits (e.g. 
immediate navigational decisions) and strategic benefits (resource planning) for the potential 
users — the waterways authorities, skipper, terminal manager, lock manager, etc.  

The  optimal  functioning  of  RIS  requires  a  common  architecture.  The  compatibility  and 
interoperability of services and applications will be ensured through common standards and 
protocols for data exchange, communication, equipment and frequencies.  

River  Information  Services  can  be  divided  into  services  which  are  either  primarily  traffic-
related or primarily transport-related. Traffic-related services are Fairway Information Service 
(FIS),  Traffic  Information,  Traffic  Management,  and  Traffic  Monitoring  and  Calamity 
Abatement;  transport-related  services  are  voyage  planning,  port  and  terminal  management, 
cargo and fleet management, statistics and water infrastructure charges. 

RIS Services  

Fairway  Information  Systems  (FIS)  contain  geographical,  hydrological  and  administrative 
data that are used by skippers and fleet managers to plan, execute and monitor a voyage. The 
FIS provide dynamic information (e.g. water levels) as well as static information (e.g. traffic 
signs,  opening  hours  of  locks)  on  the  conditions  of  the  inland  waterway  infrastructure,  and 
thereby support tactical and strategic navigation decisions. They contain data on the waterway 
infrastructure and therefore consist of one-way information — shore to ship/office.  

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Traditionally,  these  services  are  provided  through  published  ‘Notices  to  Skippers’,  TV  and 
radio  broadcasts,  internet,  VHF  nautical  information  radio,  e-mail  subscription  services  and 
fixed telephones at locks.  

Tailor-made  advanced  Fairway  Information  Services  can  be  supplied  by  radiotelephone  for 
urgent  information  (such  as  changes  of  lock  times,  temporary  obstructions  in  the  fairway, 
navigation  restrictions  caused  by  floods  and  ice)  or  Internet  services  for  information  that 
needs to be communicated on a daily basis only (such as current and predicted water levels, 
ice and flood predictions). Additionally, ‘Notices to Skippers’ can be transmitted by e-mail or 
SMS subscription. 

Finally,  the  fairway  information  can  be  displayed  on  an  Inland  ECDIS  (Electronic  Chart 
Display  and  Information  System)  map.  Radar  and  AIS  (Automatic  Identification  System) 
information can be integrated into the maps as overlays.  

Traffic  information  services  basically  consist  of  tactical  traffic  information  (display  of  the 
present vessel characteristics and movements on a limited part of the waterway) and strategic 
traffic information (display of vessels and their characteristics over a larger geographical area, 
including forecasts and analyses of future traffic situations). 

Tactical traffic information can be displayed in form of a Tactical Traffic Image (TTI). The 
Tactical  Traffic  Image  contains  information  on  vessels’  positions,  time,  speed,  heading  and 
specific  vessel  information  of  all  targets  identified  by  radar  and  –  if  available  –  Automatic 
Identification Systems (AIS) or compatible automatic vessel tracking and tracing systems. It 
is  produced  by  collecting  radar  data  and  vessel-based  AIS  or  compatible  signals  and  by 
displaying the signals on an Inland ECDIS.  

The  information  provided  on  the  Tactical  Traffic  Image  supports  the  ship’s  master  in  the 
immediate  navigation  decisions  in  the  current  traffic  situation.  The  Tactical  Traffic  Image 
allows skippers also to make navigational arrangements with other vessels (e.g. with respect 
to turning, overtaking, passing).  

The  Strategic  Traffic  Image  (STI)  on  the  other  hand  provides  a  general  overview  of  the 
traffic  situation  in  a  relatively  large  area.  The  Strategic  Traffic  Image  is  mainly  used  for 
planning  and  monitoring.  The  STI  will  provide  the  user  with  information  about  intended 
voyages  of  vessels,  (dangerous)  cargo  and  Requested  Times  of  Arrival  (RTA)  at  defined 
points.  

The  Strategic Traffic  Image also enables  a forecast of the short-term development of  traffic 
within  a  certain  region  (e.g.  one  kilometre)  and  of  future  traffic  situations.  Encounters  and 
overtaking can be calculated and planned in advance.  

Traffic Management by waterway authorities aims at optimising the use of the infrastructure 
as  well  as  facilitating  safe  navigation.  At  present  so-called  Vessel  Traffic  Services  (VTS) 
centres  are  installed  at  some  critical  points  along  the  European  waterway  network  in  the 
Netherlands and Germany where large amounts of traffic have to be managed.  

Radar-based  Vessel  Traffic  Services  are  services  implemented  by  a  Competent  Authority, 
designed to improve the safety and efficiency of vessel traffic and to protect the environment. 
The  service  should  have  the  capability  to  interact  with  the  traffic  and  to  respond  to  traffic 
situations  arising  in  the  VTS  area.  RIS  enhances  and  facilitates  the  work  of  existing  VTS 

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centres and permits traffic management on larger stretches of the European inland waterway 
network. 

The  availability  of  vessel  tracking  and  tracing  technologies  such  as  AIS  leads  to  new 
developments in the traffic management concept that do not necessarily provide for a central 
VTS  management  function,  but  rather  decentralised  decision  support  for  navigational 
decisions.  However,  current  trends  show  that  the  one  will  not  replace  the  other,  but  more 
likely  they  will  complement  each  other.  In  addition,  the  possibility  should  be  explored  of 
using e.g. AIS not only for safety-related information (as originally intended), but also for the 
provision of additional information such as on dangerous cargo. 

RIS  facilitate  lock  and  bridge  operation  and  planning.  Lock  and  bridge  operators  are 
supported  in  their  medium-term  decisions  through  data  exchange  with  adjacent  locks  and 
bridges.  RIS  assist  further  in  the  calculation  of  Estimated  Times  of  Arrivals  (ETAs)  and 
Requested Times of Arrival (RTAs) for a chain of locks.  

Calamity abatement services register vessels and their transport data at the beginning of a trip 
and update the data during the voyage with the help of a ship reporting system. In the event of 
an accident, the responsible authorities are capable of providing the data immediately to the 
rescue and emergency teams.  

Voyage  Planning  means  skippers  and  fleet  managers  can  plan  Estimated  Times  of  Arrival 
(ETA)  based  on  fairway  information.  Traditionally  this  information  is  made  available  by 
means of ‘Notices to Skippers’, which provide information on the availability of the waterway 
infrastructure  (e.g.  constraints  due  to  construction  works).  However,  voyage  planning  also 
calls  for  reliable  information  and  forecasts  on  water  levels  and  currents  for  an  entire  route, 
which  at  present  are  not  available  even  for  international  voyages  e.g.  between  Rhine  and 
Danube.  

Terminal and port operators need Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) information in order to be 
able  to  plan  resources  for  port  and  terminal  processes  - Port  and  Terminal  Planning.  ETA 
information of approaching vessels supports the overall terminal utilisation and allows for a 
smooth passage of vessels through the terminal facilities. As a result, transhipment processes 
– and especially waiting times – can be reduced. In case of insufficient terminal capacities, the 
terminal operator can inform the individual skipper of the Requested Time of Arrival (RTA).  

Cargo and fleet management basically comprises two types of information, information on 
the vessels and the fleet and detailed information on the cargo transported. 

RIS  allows  for  logistics  applications  such  as  fleet  planning  support,  ETA/RTA  negotiations 
between  vessels  and  terminals,  tracking  and  tracing,  and  electronic  market-places.  Fleet 
managers  and  logistics  service  providers  can  for  instance  use  the  Strategic  Traffic  Image  to 
track and trace their fleet. The identification of the availability and position of all connected 
vessels  potentially  results  in  optimised  utilisation  of  transport  capacities  within  an  existing 
fleet.  

This  fleet  planning  capability  can  even  be  extended  towards  a  logistics  data  pool  among 
different  companies.  For  instance,  the  ALSO  Danube  project  –  a  project  of  the  European 
Commission  within  the  5th  Framework  Programme  GROWTH  –  developed  and  tested  the 
concept  of  a  Common  Source  Logistics  Database  (CSL.DB).  The  CSL.DB  is  among  others 
fed by traffic data registered by the traffic information services. The CSL.DB links logistical 

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information with the tactical traffic information of the vessels. These data are collected in the 
database  and  used  for  logistical  and  transport  planning  by  shippers  and  logistics  service 
providers.  

RIS  will  contribute  to  a  better  and  easier  collection  of  relevant  inland  waterway  statistical 
data  in  the  Member  States.  These  are  mainly  of  interest  to  the  waterway  authorities  for 
strategic  planning  and  monitoring  purposes.  Statistics  can  be  made  available  in  different 
formats such as general traffic data, cargo statistics, vessel statistics, lock statistics, accident 
statistics, and port/transhipment statistics. 

In  relation  to  geographical  information,  the  INSPIRE  specifications  and  guidelines  shall  be 
considered. 

RIS  can  assist  in  levying  waterway  charges.  The  travel  data  of  the  ship  can  be  used  to 
automatically calculate the charge and initiate the invoicing procedure.  

RIS technologies 

Several  RIS-related  technological  innovations  have  been  introduced  in  the  inland  waterway 
sector during the last decade: 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Electronic  Navigation  Charts  (ENC)  for  visualisation  of  fairway  and  ship 
position information; 

Internet applications and Inland ECDIS for Notices to Skippers; 

Electronic ship reporting systems for information collection on voyage-related 
data (ship and cargo); 

Vessel  tracking  and  tracing  technologies  such  as  Automatic  Identification 
System AIS for automatic reporting on the position of ships. 

Inland ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System for Inland Navigation) is the 
European  standard  for  Electronic  Navigational  Charts,  adopted  by  the  Central  Commission 
for the Navigation on the Rhine (in May 2001) and the Danube Commission. Inland ECDIS 
maps  are  based  on  and  compatible  with  maritime  ECDIS  (promoted  by  IMO  and  IHO  – 
International Hydrographic Organisation), and are expected to be available for the Rhine and 
the Danube within a short period of time. By using the same standard, maps can be produced 
for estuaries of rivers, where both maritime and inland vessels navigate. Inland ECDIS can be 
used  in  two  modes  –  the  navigation  and  information  mode  –  respectively  with  and  without 
traffic information by radar or AIS overlay.  

A  personal  computer  with  modem  and  mobile  communication  facilities  (GSM  –  Global 
System  for  Mobile  Communication)  is  required  to  receive  e-mail  and  gain  access  to  the 
internet.  Many  RIS  applications  are  based  on  web  technology,  e.g.  internet  is  needed  for 
electronic  reporting  and  for  the  display  of  Electronic  Navigable  Charts  (ENC).  GSM/GPRS 
(General Packet Radio Service) is already available on a large scale, whereas Wireless LAN 
(Local  Area  Network)  and  UMTS  (Universal  Mobile  Telecommunication  System)  are 
considered as promising technologies.  

Transmission  of  data  and  internet  communication  by  inland  skippers  via  GSM  is  limited 
because  of  the  high  costs  and  relatively  low  transmission  speeds.  GPRS  is  a  world-wide 

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standard for mobile data transmission that is potentially cheaper. The user of GPRS does not 
pay per time unit but according to the amount of data sent and received. 

Vessel  tracking  and  tracing  systems  are  an  additional  source  of  navigational  information, 
which supports radar systems. For example, the Automatic Identification System (AIS) uses 
dynamic  digital  broadcast  radios  carried  on  vessels  (transponders).  AIS  automatically 
broadcasts relevant information about the vessel at regular intervals. These data are received 
and integrated by other AIS devices (ships or shore stations), which can be displayed as real-
time  navigation  data  on  a  radar  or  Inland  ECDIS.  The  use  of  AIS  could  reduce  language 
barriers, as a major part of the information is exchanged electronically. Many verbal reports 
from  skippers  to  the  VTS  centre  could  be  replaced  by  electronic  information.  Vessels  that 
may not be visible to on-board radar systems can be identified by AIS (e.g. in cases of river 
bends, dikes). 

The  satellite  positioning  technology  offers  new  possibilities that can be integrated into RIS. 
The technical performance of the Galileo system provides enough capabilities for information 
systems. The open access service can serve general positioning requirements. The safety-of-
life  service,  through  its  integrity  provision,  allows  for  safer  operations  to  be  developed. 
Finally,  the  commercial  service,  which  provides  service  guarantees  through  contractual 
relationships between the Galileo operator and the end user, permits new types of applications 
which  can  assist  RIS.  Early  services  are  available  through  the  precursor  “EGNOS”  system, 
while full Galileo operational services will be provided as from 2008 onwards. 

6.  BENEFITS OF RIS FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF INLAND NAVIGATION 

RIS is expected to provide four types of strategic benefits  

– 

– 

– 

– 

Increased competitiveness 

Optimised use of infrastructures  

Improved safety and security 

Increased environmental protection 

Competitiveness of Inland Waterway Transport 

RIS permits the establishment of competitive inland waterway transport services. It provides 
up-to-date  information  that  can  be  used  to  plan  voyages  and  calculate  more  reliable  time 
schedules.  

Based on the current and expected positioning data of the various vessels that are under way 
in  the  network,  lock/bridge/terminal  operators  can  calculate  and  communicate  the  Required 
Times of Arrival (RTA) to the individual skippers. While approaching the lock/terminal, the 
skipper can decide to adjust his cruising speed (more homogeneous travel speeds), which in 
the end results in a reduction of waiting times at locks and terminals.  

Hence, RIS complies with the information needs of modern supply chain management, since 
it allows optimised use and monitoring of resources and possibilities for flexible reactions in 
case of any deviation from the original planning.  

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Secondly, RIS principally provides information interfaces with all supply chain members as 
well  as  with  other  transport  modes.  These  interfaces,  which  eliminate  fractures  in  the 
information chain, permit the integration of inland waterway transport into inter-modal supply 
chains.  

Thirdly,  RIS  allows  real-time  monitoring  of  the  inland  navigation  fleet  and  of  changing 
fairway conditions en route. This allows improved fleet management, optimised deployment 
of personnel and fleet based on up-to-date information as well as more detailed trip planning 
and  draught  management  based  on  up-to-date  information  on  fairway  conditions.  Real-time 
information is provided that can be used to load ships according to the current navigational 
conditions. 

Optimised use of infrastructure 

Terminal  and  lock  operators  are  capable  of  producing  better  planning  of  terminal  resources 
through receipt of Estimated Times of Arrival (ETA) and additional information (e.g. stowage 
plans, vessel dimensions) of approaching vessels. These pre-announcement data allow a pro-
active approach towards terminal or lock scheduling. Before the vessel enters the port or lock, 
the operator can prepare and schedule the handling activities. For skippers this means shorter 
waiting times and an optimised chain of processes for the entire voyage. Public infrastructures 
benefit from the pre-announcement data through better utilisation rates.  

Additionally,  RIS  permits  the  automated  collection  of  statistical  and  customs  data. 
Traditionally, this is connected with paper work, which is time-consuming and prone to data 
errors.  RIS  makes  the  automatic  collection  of  required  data  possible  in  an  efficient  way, 
ultimately resulting in lower public expenditure. 

Safety and security of inland navigation 

With  the  introduction  of  RIS,  skippers  are  offered  up-to-date  and  complete  overviews  of 
traffic situations. This allows them to take well-informed navigational decisions, which will 
consequently  lead  to  a  reduction  of  incidents  and  injuries/fatalities.  Traditionally,  for 
example, ship masters had to rely on information shown on the radar and verbal information 
provided by vessel traffic service (VTS) centres in order to take navigational decisions. The 
application  of  RIS  has  dramatically  improved  this  picture:  skippers  use  electronic  charts, 
which are necessarily up-to-date, receive precise positioning data on approaching vessels, and 
are informed electronically about current fairway and weather conditions.  

Moreover,  RIS  allows  detailed  monitoring  of  dangerous  goods  transports,  thus  helping 
prevent shipping accidents. These and other data allow safe navigation. 

RIS  also  contributes  to  the  transparency  of  freight  transport.  Transparency  is  a  main 
prerequisite for enhanced security of transport operations. It requires a continuous information 
flow  which  advances  and/or  accompanies  the  material  process.  By  developing  harmonised 
interfaces,  RIS  supports  the  generation  of  comprehensive  and  transparent  information 
processes and the smooth exchange of data (pre-announcement declarations, exchange of data 
on cargo/containers, e.g. customs data) between all relevant partners in a transport chain. 

Environmental protection 

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RIS leads to a reduction of fuel consumption as a consequence of better voyage planning and 
more  reliable  time  scheduling.  In  addition,  RIS  contributes  to  a  modal  shift  of  cargo  from 
road to waterway, leading to a reduction of exhaust gases such as CO2 and NOx, but also of 
noise  nuisance.  RIS  therefore  supports  the  reduction  of  emissions  caused  by  transport 
activities both directly and indirectly.  

Finally, RIS provides the possibility to monitor the transport of dangerous goods. This allows 
timely responses in the event of accidents and potential environmental calamities. Since data 
on  all  traffic  movements  can  be  stored  in  a  database,  reconstruction  of  incidents  can  be 
helpful in the analysis of causes for the accident. All in all this contributes to environmental 
protection in relation to inland navigation. 

7. 

DESCRIPTION OF THE DIRECTIVE 

The  purpose  of  the  proposed  Directive  is  to  establish  a  framework  for  a  harmonised  and 
interoperable development and deployment of River Information Services on all Community 
inland  waterways  of  Class  IV  or  higher5  in  order  to  improve  the  safety,  security,  and 
efficiency of traffic and transport operations. It will also apply to inland ports as defined in the 
framework of the TEN with at least 500.000 tonnes freight volume per year.6 (Article 1 and 2) 

The Directive is addressed to the Member States. However, Member States without navigable 
inland  waters  are  not  obliged  to  apply  the  provisions  of  this  Directive.  Member  States  of 
which  the  inland  waterway  network  is  not  linked  to  the  network  of  another  Member  State 
(isolated  network)  may  exempt  those  waterways  from  the  application  (Art.2§2).  However 
they are recommended to apply the rules of the Directive on these waterways (whereas n°3). 
In addition, for inland waterways within the scope of the Directive but with a demonstrated 
low traffic density, the period for the implementation may be extended. (Article 11 § 3)  

Article 3 sets out the definitions applicable for the purposes of this Directive. 

Article  4  lays  down  the  obligation  for  Member  States  to  take  the  necessary  measures  to 
implement  River  Information  Services  and  sets  the  principles  for  their  development.  It 
identifies the different types of potential River Information Services (such as information on 
the fairways to enhance voyage planning, traffic-related information to support navigational 
decisions and/or calamity abatement, information to facilitate transport management etc.) and 
defines  the  specific  obligations  of  the  Member  States  as  regards  the  provision  of  data 
necessary for the execution of the voyage, the provision of electronic navigational charts and 
of  notices  to  skippers  as  well  as  the  capability  of  the  competent  authorities  to  receive 
electronic ship reports on the vessel and cargo. These obligations are further specified in the 
technical Annex. 

In  principle,  the  Directive  does  not  oblige  private  users,  boat  masters  and  ship  operators  to 
install the equipment necessary for participating in RIS. However, Member States must take 
appropriate  measures  to  encourage  users  (boat  masters,  operators,  vessel  agents,  shippers, 
cargo  owners)  and  vessels  to  comply  with  the  reporting  procedures  and  equipment 
requirements implied by this Directive. (Article 4 § 6)  

5 

6 

Classification  of  European  Inland  Waterways,  Resolution  N°  30  of  the  UN/ECE  Working  Party  on 
Inland Waterway Transport of 12 November 1992 
Decision N° 1346/2001/EC (OJ L 185, 6.7.2001, p.1). 

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15 

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Article 5 recalls that in order to ensure harmonised and interoperable implementation of RIS, 
guidelines  and  technical  specifications  need  to  be  established.  The  principles  for  the 
guidelines and technical specifications are further described in Annex II to the Directive.  

The  guidelines  will  cover  the  technical  principles  and  requirements  for  the  planning, 
implementation and operational use of RIS, related systems and the RIS architecture as well 
as specifications for data exchange, contents and communication. 

Technical  specifications  are  envisaged  in  particular  for  Inland  ECDIS,  electronic  ship 
reporting, notice to skippers, and vessel tracking and tracing systems such as AIS (Automatic 
Identification  Systems).  With  a  view  to  mixed  traffic  zones  and  estuaries  the  specifications 
must  be  compatible  with  maritime  standards  where  applicable  and  in  particular  as  regards 
Inland ECDIS and vessel tracking and tracing technologies such as AIS.  

The  technical  guidelines  and  specifications  will  be  established  by  the  Commission  with  the 
help of a Member States’ committee. To this effect, a time-table is indicated (Article 5 § 2).  

In Article 6, the use of satellite positioning technologies is stipulated for the purpose of RIS. 

Article 7 stipulates further that as far as the safety of navigation is concerned, equipment and 
software applications shall be certified for compliance by national bodies to be notified by the 
Member States. The certification shall be mutually recognised by all Member States. Member 
States shall further designate and notify the competent authority(ies) for RIS. 

Article 9 refers to the rules on privacy and security as well as the re-use of information. 

Article 10 sets out the procedures for amending the technical annex. 

Article 11 provides the basis for the RIS Committee. In adopting the necessary decisions, the 
Commission will be assisted by the Committee created under Directive 91/672 and composed 
of  representatives  of  the  Member  States.  In  particular,  the  Committee  will  assist  the 
Commission in defining the technical specifications and details for the implementation of the 
services.  For  these  measures  the  use  of  a  regulatory  procedure  is  considered  to  be  the  most 
appropriate.7 

In  its  transitional  provisions,  Article  12  provides  for  a  graduated  transition  period  for  the 
implementation  of  the  Directive.  In  principle,  Member  States  must  implement  the 
requirements  set  out  in  Article  4  not  later  than  24  months  after  the  entry  into  force  of  the 
technical guidelines and the relevant specifications.  

Article 13 sets the date for the entry into force of the Directive.  

7 

Decision 1999/468/EC (OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23). 

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2004/0123 (COD) 

Proposal for a 

DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL  

on harmonised River Traffic Information Services on inland waterways in the 
Community 

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 
71 thereof,  

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (8), 

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (9), 

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (10), 

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (11), 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

The deployment of information and communication technologies on inland waterways 
helps  to  increase  significantly  the  safety  and  efficiency  of  transport  by  inland 
waterway. 

In some Member States national applications of information services are already being 
deployed  on  various  waterways.  In  order  to  ensure  a  harmonised,  interoperable  and 
open navigational aid and information system on the inland waterway network of the 
Community, common requirements and technical specifications should be introduced. 

On  national  navigable  inland  waterways  not  linked  to  the  navigable  network  of 
another  Member  State,  these  requirements  and  technical  specifications  need  not  be 
mandatory.  It  is  however  recommended  to  implement  River  Traffic  Information 
Services as defined in this Directive on those inland waterways and to make existing 
systems interoperable with it. 

The  development  of  River  Traffic  Information  Services  (RIS)  should  be  based  on 
objectives such as safety, security, efficiency and environmental friendliness of inland 
navigation  which  are  fulfilled  by  tasks  like  traffic  and  transport  management, 
environment and infrastructure protection and the enforcement of specific rules. 

8 
9 
10 
11 

OJ C […], […], p. […]. 
OJ C […], […], p. […]. 
OJ C […], […], p. […]. 
OJ C […], […], p. […]. 

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(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

The requirements regarding RIS should concern at least the information services to be 
provided by the Member States. 

The  establishment  of  technical  specifications  should  include  systems  such  as 
electronic navigational charts, electronic ship reporting, notices to skippers and vessel 
tracking and tracing. 

The  introduction  of  RIS  will  entail  the  processing  of  personal  data.  Such  processing 
should  be  carried  out  in  accordance  with  European  rules,  as  set  out  inter  alia  in 
Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 
on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on 
the  free  movement  of  such  data(12)  and  Directive  2002/58/EC  of  the  European 
Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2002 concerning the processing of personal 
data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector(13).  

Since the objectives of the action to be taken, namely to establish harmonised RIS in 
the  Community,  cannot  be  sufficiently  achieved  by  the  Member  States  and  can 
therefore,  by  reason  of  their  European  dimension,  be  better  achieved  at  Community 
level,  the  Community  may  adopt  measures,  in  accordance  with  the  principle  of 
subsidiarity as  set out in  Article 5 of  the Treaty. In accordance with the principle of 
proportionality,  as  set  out  in  that  Article,  this  directive  does  not  go  beyond  what  is 
necessary in order to achieve those objectives.  

(9) 

The measures necessary for the implementation of this Directive should be adopted in 
accordance  with  Council  Decision  1999/468/EC  of  28  June  1999  laying  down  the 
procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission,14 

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 

Article 1 
Subject matter  

This  Directive  establishes  a  framework  for  the  deployment  and  use  of  harmonised  River 
Traffic  Information  Services  (RIS)  in  the  Community  in  order  to  support  inland  waterway 
transport  with  a  view  to  enhance  safety,  security,  efficiency  and  environmental  friendliness 
and to facilitate the interface with other transport modes. 

This Directive provides a framework under which technical requirements, specifications and 
conditions  to  ensure  harmonised,  interoperable  and  open  RIS  on  the  Community  Inland 
Waterways  will  be  developed.  Continuity  shall  be  ensured  with  other  modal  traffic 
management  services,  in  particular  maritime  vessel  traffic  management  and  information 
services. 

12 
13 
14 

OJ L 281, 23.11.1995, p. 31. 
OJ L 201, 31.7.2002, p. 37. 
OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23. 

EN 

18 

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Article 2  
Scope 

1. 

2. 

This  Directive  applies  to  the  implementation  and  operation  of  RIS  on  all  inland 
waterways of class IV and above according to the Classification of European Inland 
Waterways  provided  for  in  UN/ECE  Resolution  No  30  of  12  November  1992 
including  the  ports  referred  to  in  Decision  No 1346/2001/EC  of  the  European 
Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  22  May  2001  amending  Decision  1692/96/EC  as 
regards  seaports,  inland  ports  and  intermodal  terminals  as  well  as  project  No 8  in 
Annex III(15). 

A Member State may, after consulting the Commission, exempt national waterways 
not linked by a waterway of class IV or higher to the navigable network of another 
Member State from the application of this Directive. 

Article 3 
Definitions 

For the purposes of this Directive, the following definitions shall apply: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

(e) 

(f) 

(g) 

(h) 

River  Information  Services  (RIS)  means  the  harmonised  information  services  to 
support traffic and transport management in inland navigation, including interfaces to 
other transport modes. RIS does not deal with internal commercial activities between 
one or more of the involved companies, but is open for interfacing with commercial 
activities. 

Information  means  geographical,  hydrological,  and  administrative 
Fairway 
information  regarding  the  waterway  (fairway).  Fairway  Information  is  one-way 
information: shore to ship or shore to office. 

Tactical  Traffic  Information  means  the  information  affecting  immediate  navigation 
decisions in the actual traffic situation and the close geographic surroundings.  

Strategic Traffic Information means the information affecting the medium and long-
term decisions of RIS users. 

RIS application means the provision of river information services through dedicated 
systems. 

RIS  centre,  means  the  place  where  the  services  are  managed  by  operators.  It  is 
established by the competent authority. 

RIS  users  means  all  different  users  groups  including  boat  masters,  RIS  operators, 
lock/bridge operators, waterway authorities, terminal operators, operators in calamity 
centres of emergency services, fleet managers, cargo shippers and freight brokers. 

Interoperability  means  that  services,  data  contents,  data  exchange  formats  and 
frequencies  are  harmonised  in  such  a  way  that  RIS  users  have  access  to  the  same 

15 

OJ L 185, 6.7.2001, p.1 

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19 

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1. 

2. 

services  and  information  on  a  European  level  without  the  need  to  change  the 
equipment. 

Article 4 
Setting- up of River Information Services 

Member  States  shall  take  the  necessary  measures  to  implement  RIS  on  inland 
waterways according to Article 2.  

RIS shall comprise services such as: 

(a)  Fairway Information  

(b)  Traffic Information  

(c)  Traffic Management  

(d)  Calamity Abatement Support 

(e) 

Information for Transport Management  

(f) 

Statistics and customs services 

(g)  Waterway charges and port dues 

3. 

Member  States shall  develop  the  services in such a way that the RIS application is 
efficient, expandable and interoperable so as to interact with other RIS applications 
and,  if  possible,  with  systems  for  other  modes  of  transport.  It  shall  also  provide 
interfaces to transport management systems and commercial activities.  

4. 

In order to set up RIS, Member States shall: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

supply  to  RIS  users  all  relevant  data  concerning  navigation  on  the  inland 
waterways referred to in Article 2. These data shall be provided at least in an 
accessible electronic format;  

ensure  that  for  all  European  Inland  Waterways  of  class  Va  and  above  in 
accordance with the Classification of European Inland Waterways, in addition 
to  the  data  referred  to  in  point (a),  electronic  navigational  charts  suitable  for 
navigational purposes are available to RIS users; 

enable,  as  far  as  ship  reporting  is  required  by  national  or  international 
regulations, the competent authorities to receive electronic ship reports on the 
voyage and cargo data of ships. In cross-border transport, this information shall 
be  transmitted  to  the  competent  authorities  of  the  neighbouring  state  before 
arrival of the vessels at the border;  

(d) 

ensure  that  notices  to  skippers,  including  water  level  and  ice  reports  of  their 
inland  waterways,  are  provided  as  standardised,  encoded  and  downloadable 
messages.  The  standardised  message  shall  contain  at  least  the  information 

EN 

20 

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5. 

6. 

7. 

1. 

necessary for safe navigation. The notices to skippers shall be provided at least 
in an accessible electronic format. 

The obligations referred to in this paragraph shall be fulfilled in compliance with the 
specifications defined in Annexes I and II.  

The Member States shall establish RIS centres according to regional necessities.  

The  Member  States  shall  make  available  the  VHF  channels  for  the  purposes  of 
Automatic  Identification  Systems  as  determined  in  the  Regional  Arrangement 
concerning the radiotelephone service on inland waterways concluded in Basel on 6 
April  2000  in  the  framework  of  the  radio  regulations  of  the  International 
Telecommunication Union (ITU). 

Member States shall take all necessary measures to monitor and ensure that the boat 
masters,  operators  or  agents  of  vessels  navigating  on  their  waterways,  shippers  or 
owners of goods carried on board such vessels as well as the vessels comply with the 
requirements under this Directive.  

Article 5  
Technical guidelines and specifications 

In  order  to  support  the  services  mentioned  in  Article  4  (2)  and  to  ensure  their 
interoperability as required by Article 4 (3), the Commission shall define pursuant to 
paragraph  2  technical  guidelines  for  the  planning,  implementation  and  operational 
use of the services (RIS guidelines) as well as technical specifications in particular in 
the following areas: 

(a)  Electronic  Chart  Display  and  Information  System  for  Inland  Navigation 

(Inland ECDIS) 

(b)  Electronic Ship Reporting 

(c)  Notices to Skippers 

(d)  Tracking and Tracing Systems. 

These guidelines and specifications shall be based on the technical principles set out 
in Annex II.  

2. 

The  technical  guidelines  and  specifications  referred  to  in  paragraph  1  shall  be 
established  by  the  Commission  in  accordance  with  the  procedure  laid  down  in 
Article 11 (3), according to the following time-table: 

(a) 

(b) 

the RIS guidelines not later than nine months after the entry into force of this 
Directive, 

the  technical  specifications  regarding  the  Inland  ECDIS,  the  Electronic  Ship 
Reporting  and  the  Notices  to  Skippers  not  later  than  twelve  months  after  the 
entry into force of this Directive, 

EN 

21 

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(c) 

the  technical  specifications  regarding  the  Tracking  and  tracing  systems  not 
later than fifteen months after the entry into force of this Directive.  

3. 

The  RIS  guidelines  and  specifications  shall  be  published  in  the  Official  Journal  of 
the European Union. 

Article 6  
Satellite positioning 

For the purpose of River Information Services satellite positioning technologies shall be used. 

Article 7  
Certification of RIS equipment 

1. 

2. 

Where necessary for the safety of navigation and required by the relevant technical 
specifications,  RIS  equipment  and  software  applications  shall  be  certified  for 
compliance with those specifications. 

Member  States  shall  notify  to  the  Commission  and  to  the  other  Member  States  the 
national  bodies  responsible  for 
the  certification.  All  Member  States  shall 
acknowledge certificates issued by the approved bodies.  

Article 8  
Competent Authorities 

Member  States  shall  designate  competent  authorities  for  the  RIS  applications  and  for  the 
international exchange of data. These authorities shall be notified to the Commission. 

Article 9  
Rules on privacy, security and the re-use of information 

1. 

2. 

Member  States  shall  ensure  that  processing  of  personal  data  necessary  for  the 
operation of RIS is carried out in accordance with the European Rules protecting the 
freedoms  and  fundamental  rights  of  individuals,  including  Directive  95/46/EC  and 
Directive  2002/58/EC.  They  may  use  this  information  only  for  the  purposes  of  the 
intended services as described in Article 4 (2). 

Member  States  shall  implement  and  maintain  security  procedures  and  services  to 
protect  the  RIS  messages  and  their  records  against  untoward  events  or  misuse 
including improper access, alteration or loss. 

3. 

Directive 2003/98/EC on the re-use of public sector information applies. 

EN 

22 

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Article 10 
Amendment Procedure 

Annex  I  and  II  may  be  amended  in  the  light  of  the  experience  gained  from  the 
application of this Directive and adapted to technical progress in accordance with the 
procedure laid down in Article 11 (3).  

Article 11  
RIS Committee 

The  Commission  shall  be  assisted  by  the  Committee  instituted  by  Article  7  of 
Directive 91/672/EEC.  

Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 3 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC 
shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.  

Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC 
shall  apply,  having  regard  to  the  provisions  of  Article  8  thereof.  [The  period  laid 
down in Article 5 (6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be three months.] 

Article 12  
Transposition 

Member  States  shall  bring  into  force  the  laws,  regulations  and  administrative 
provisions  necessary  to  comply  with  this  Directive  by  […]  at  the  latest  [not  later 
than  18  months  after  the  date  of  entry  into  force  of  the  Directive].  They  shall 
forthwith  communicate  to  the  Commission  the  text  of  those  provisions  and  a 
correlation table between those provisions and this Directive. 

When  Member  States  adopt  these  provisions,  they  shall  contain  a  reference  to  this 
Directive or shall be accompanied by such reference on the occasion of their official 
publication. Member States shall determine how such reference is to be made.  

Member  States  shall  take  the  necessary  measures  to  comply  with  the  requirements 
set out in Article 4 not later than 24 months after the entry into force of the relevant 
technical  guidelines  and  specifications  referred  to  in  Article  5.  The  technical 
guidelines and specifications shall enter into force on the day following that of their 
publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. 

Following a request by a Member State, the Commission may extend in accordance 
with the procedure laid down in Article 11 (2), the period provided for in paragraph 2 
for the implementation of one or more requirements of Article 4, in respect of inland 
waterways  as  defined  in  Article  2  but  with  low  traffic  density.  This  period  may  be 
extended  by  24  months;  the  extension  may  be  renewed.  The  justification  to  be 
provided with the request by the Member State shall refer to the traffic density and 
economic conditions on that particular waterway. 

1. 

2. 

3 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the main provisions 
of national law which they adopt in the field governed by this Directive. 

EN 

23 

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5. 

Where  necessary,  Member  States  shall  assist  one  another  in  the  implementation  of 
this Directive. 

Article 13  
Entry into force 

This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in 
the Official Journal of the European Union. 

Article 14 

This Directive is addressed to the Member States. 

Done at Brussels,  

For the European Parliament 
The President 

For the Council 
The President 

EN 

24 

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Annex I 

Minimum data requirements 

As referred to in Article 4 (4) (a), in particular the following data shall be supplied:  

–  Waterway axis with kilometre indication, 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Restrictions  for  vessels  or  convoys  in  terms  of  length,  width,  draught  and  air 
draught, 

Operation times of restricting structures, in particular locks and bridges,  

Location of ports and transhipment sites, 

Reference data for water level gauges relevant to navigation. 

EN 

25 

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Annex II 

Principles for RIS guidelines and technical specifications 

1. RIS Guidelines 

The RIS guidelines referred to in Article 5 shall respect the following principles: 

a) 

b) 

c) 

the  indication  of  technical  requirements  for  the  planning,  implementing  and 
operational use of services and related systems, 

the RIS architecture and organisation, and 

recommendations for vessels to participate in RIS, for individual services and for the 
stepwise development of RIS.  

2. Inland ECDIS 

The  technical  specifications  to  be  established in  accordance  with  Article  5  for  an  electronic 
chart display and information system (Inland ECDIS) shall respect the following principles:  

a) 

b) 

compatibility with the maritime ECDIS in order to facilitate traffic of inland vessels 
in mixed traffic zones of the estuaries and sea-river traffic, 

the definition of minimum requirements for Inland ECDIS equipment as well as the 
minimum  content  of  electronic  navigational  charts  with  a  view  to  the  safety  of 
navigation, in particular 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

a high level of reliability and availability of the Inland ECDIS equipment used,  

the  robustness  of  the  Inland  ECDIS  equipment  in  order  to  withstand  the 
environmental conditions typically prevailing on board of a vessel without any 
degradation in quality and reliability, 

the  inclusion  in  the  electronic  navigational  chart  of  all  kinds  of  geographical 
objects (e. g. boundaries of the fairway, shoreline constructions, beacons) that 
are needed for safe navigation, 

the monitoring of the electronic chart with overlaid radar image when used for 
conning the vessel,  

the  integration  of  depth  information  on  the  fairway  in  the  electronic 
navigational chart and display to a predefined or the actual water level,  

the  integration  of  additional  information  (e.g.  of  other  parties  than  the 
competent  authorities)  in  the  electronic  navigational  chart  and  display  in  the 
Inland  ECDIS  without  affecting  the  information  that  is  needed  for  safe 
navigation. 

c) 

the accessibility of electronic navigational charts to all users.  

EN 

26 

   EN 

 
d) 

the availability of the data for electronic navigational charts to all manufacturers of 
applications. 

3. Electronic Ship Reporting 

The technical specifications for Electronic Ship Reporting in inland navigation in accordance 
with Article 5 shall respect the following principles: 

a) 

b) 

c) 

the facilitation of the electronic data exchange between the competent authorities of 
the Member States, between participants in inland as well as maritime navigation and 
in multi-modal transport where inland navigation is involved, 

the  use  of  a  standardised  transport  notification  message  for  ship-to-authority, 
authority-to-ship  and  authority-to-authority  messaging 
to  obtain 
compatibility with maritime navigation, 

in  order 

the  use  of 
complemented for additional inland navigation needs, 

internationally  accepted  code 

lists  and  classifications,  possibly 

d) 

the use of a unique European vessel identification number. 

4. Notices to Skippers 

The technical specifications for Notices to Skippers in accordance with Article 5, in particular 
regarding  fairway  information,  traffic  information  and  management  as  well  as  voyage 
planning, shall respect the following principles: 

a) 

b) 

a  standardised  data  structure  using  predefined  text  modules  and  encoded  to  a  high 
extent  in  order  to  enable  automatic  translation  of  the  most  important  content  into 
other  languages  and  to  facilitate  the  integration  of  notices  to  skippers  into  voyage 
planning systems, 

the compatibility of the standardised data structure with the data structure of Inland 
ECDIS to facilitate integration of notices to skippers in Inland ECDIS. 

5. Tracking and tracing systems 

The technical specifications for vessel tracking and tracing systems in accordance with Article 
5 shall respect the following principles: 

a) 

b) 

c) 

the  definition  of  the  requirements  on  systems  and  of  standard  messages  as  well  as 
procedures so that they can be provided in an automated way,  

the  differentiation  between  systems  suited  to  requirements  of  tactical  traffic 
information and systems suited to requirements of strategic traffic information, both 
with regard to positioning accuracy and required update rate, 

the description of the relevant technical systems for vessel tracking and tracing such 
as Inland AIS (Inland Automatic Identification System), 

EN 

27 

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d) 

e) 

compatibility  with  the  maritime  AIS  system  in  order  to  facilitate  traffic  of  inland 
vessels in mixed traffic zones of the estuaries and sea-river traffic, 

the  capability  of  the  shore-based  infrastructure  on  the  inland  waterway  network  to 
accommodate maritime AIS messages. 

EN 

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LEGISLATIVE FINANCIAL STATEMENT 

Policy area(s): 

Energy and Transport 

Activit(y/ies): 

Sustainable mobility policy 

TITLE OF ACTION:  DIRECTIVE  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  PARLIAMENT  AND  OF  THE  COUNCIL  ON
HARMONISED  RIVER  INFORMATION  SERVICES  (RIS)  ON  INLAND
WATERWAYS IN THE COMMUNITY 

1. 

BUDGET LINE(S) + HEADING(S) 

Budget  line:  A  –  7031,  Heading:  Meetings  and  invitations  in  general  (ABB 
nomenclature: 06.01.02.11) 

2. 

OVERALL FIGURES  

2.1. 

Total allocation for action (Part B): € million for commitment 

2.2. 

Period of application: 

start: 2005 

end: not determined 

2.3. 

Overall multiannual estimate of expenditure: 

(a) 

Schedule  of  commitment  appropriations/payment  appropriations 
intervention) (see point 6.1.1) 

(financial 

€ million (to three decimal places) 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

Commitments 

Payments 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

subs. 
Years 
- 

- 

Total 

- 

- 

(b) 

Technical and administrative assistance and support expenditure(see point 6.1.2) 

Commitments 

Payments 

Subtotal a+b 

Commitments 

Payments 

EN 

29 

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(c) 

Overall  financial  impact  of  human  resources  and  other  administrative  expenditure 
(see points 7.2 and 7.3) 

0.119 

0.119 

0.119 

0.119 

0.119 

0.595 

Commitments/ 
payments 

TOTAL a+b+c 

Commitments 

0.119 

0.119 

0.119 

0.119 

0.119 

Payments 

0.119 

0.119 

0.119 

0.119 

0.119 

0.595 

0.595 

2.4. 

Compatibility with financial programming and financial perspective 

[x]  Proposal is compatible with existing financial programming. 

Proposal  will  entail  reprogramming  of  the  relevant  heading  in  the  financial 
perspective. 

Proposal  may  require  application  of  the  provisions  of  the  Interinstitutional 
Agreement. 

2.5. 

Financial impact on revenue:16 

[x]  Proposal  has  no  financial  implications  (involves  technical  aspects  regarding 

implementation of a measure) 

OR 

Proposal has financial impact – the effect on revenue is as follows: 

(NB All details and observations relating to the method of calculating the effect on 
revenue should be shown in a separate annex.) 

Budget line 

Revenue 

(€ million to one decimal place) 

Prior to
action 
[Year 
n-1] 

[Yea
r n] 

Situation following action 

[n+1] [n+2] [n+3

[n+4]  [n+5] 

] 

a) Revenue in absolute terms 

b) Change in revenue 

 ∆ 

(Please specify each budget line involved, adding the appropriate number of rows 
to the table if there is an effect on more than one budget line.) 

16 

For further information, see separate explanatory note. 

EN 

30 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3. 

BUDGET CHARACTERISTICS 

Type of expenditure 

New 

EFTA 
contribution 

Contributions 
form applicant 
countries 

Heading in 
financial 
perspective 

Non-comp 

Non-diff 

NO 

NO 

NO 

4. 

LEGAL BASIS 

ARTICLE 71 OF THE EC TREATY 

5. 

DESCRIPTION AND GROUNDS 

5.1. 

Need for Community intervention  

5.1.1.  Objectives pursued 

The Commission White Paper on Transport policy (COM (2001) 370) stipulates the 
installing  of  highly  efficient  navigational  aid  and  communication  systems  on  the 
inland waterway network of the Community.  

The  Community  has  already  put  some  financial  effort  in  the  development  of  river 
information  systems  in  the  framework  of  the  research  and  development  framework 
programmes. 

On  this  basis,  Member  States  have  developed  a  variety  of  stand-alone  telematic 
services and systems and put them into place on their inland waterways. Sometimes, 
there exist even various applications within one Member State.  

The Directive creates the necessary framework and conditions in order to ensure that 
the services and systems are implemented in a harmonised and interoperable way on 
the inland waterways in the Community. 

In adopting the necessary decisions for a harmonised deployment of the services, the 
Commission will be assisted by a committee composed by representatives of the MS. 
In  particular  the  committee  will  assist  the  Commission  in  defining  the  technical 
specifications and details for the implementation of the services. 

5.1.2.  Measures taken in connection with ex ante evaluation 

Not applicable  

5.1.3.  Measures taken following ex post evaluation 

Not applicable 

5.2. 

Action envisaged and budget intervention arrangements 

The  general  objective  of  the  action  is  the  establishment  of  a  framework  for  a 
harmonised and interoperable deployment and use of River information services on 

EN 

31 

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Community  inland  waterways.  The  action  is  addressed  to  the  Member  States 
concerned  which  shall  take  the  necessary  measures  to  implement  the  services  on 
their waterways within the framework and provisions laid down by the Directive. 

Beneficiaries are the users of the services, i.e. the shipping industry as such, the ship 
operators and boat masters as well as infrastructure managers. 

The  objective  shall  be  achieved  by  the  definition  of  technical  guidelines  for  the 
implementation  and  the  functioning  of  the  services  as  well  as  by  defining  the 
technical specifications for the various applications.  

To  this  end,  Article  11  of  the  proposed  Directive  provides  for  a  committee  of 
Member States’ representatives with practical experience in the field of information 
and communication technologies on inland waterways. The committee will help the 
Commission in preparing the relevant decisions on a properly informed basis. Such a 
committee does not exist yet and will therefore have to be set up. It will base its work 
on  the  findings  of  research  projects  conducted  under  the  research  and  development 
framework programme, in particular on the COMPRIS project which is dealing with 
implementation issues of RIS.  

The following matters, and possibly others in the framework of the Directive, will be 
referred to the Committee: 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Guidelines covering the technical principles and requirements for the planning, 
implementing and operational use of services and related systems as well as the 
RIS architecture and organisation; 

preparation  of  technical  specifications  for  an  electronic  navigational  chart 
display and information system (Inland ECDIS); 

preparation of technical specifications for Electronic Ship Reporting; 

preparation of technical specifications for Notices to Skippers; 

preparation of technical specifications for vessel tracking and tracing systems.  

5.3.  Methods of implementation  

The  work  will  be  carried  out  by  the  Committee  and  working  groups  of  outside 
experts  chosen  jointly  in  cooperation  with  the  Committee  and  paid  by  the 
Commission which will also be responsible for the monitoring of the Committee and 
the expert groups.  

6. 

FINANCIAL IMPACT 

6.1. 

Total financial impact on Part B - (over the entire programming period) 

(The method of calculating the total amounts set out in the table below must be explained by 
the breakdown in Table 6.2. ) 

EN 

32 

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6.1.1.  Financial intervention 

Commitments (in € million to three decimal places) 

Breakdown 

[Year 
n] 

[n+1] 

[n+2] 

[n+3] 

[n+4] 

Total 

[n+5 
and 
subs. 
Years] 

Action 1 

Action 2 

etc. 

TOTAL 

6.1.2.  Technical  and  administrative  assistance,  support  expenditure  and  IT  expenditure 

(commitment appropriations) 

[Year 
n] 

[n+1] 

[n+2] 

[n+3] 

[n+4] 

Total 

[n+5 
and 
subs. 
years] 

1) 
administrative assistance 

Technical 

and 

Technical 

a) 
offices

assistance 

b)  Other 
administrative assistance: 

technical 

and 

- intra muros: 

- extra muros: 

of  which  for  construction 
and 
of 
maintenance 
computerised  management 
systems 

Subtotal 1 

2) Support expenditure 

a) Studies 

b) Meetings of experts 

c) Information and 
publications 

Subtotal 2 

TOTAL 

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6.2. 

Calculation  of  costs  by  measure  envisaged  in  Part  B  (over  the  entire 
programming period)17 

(Where  there  is  more  than  one  action,  give  sufficient  detail  of  the  specific  measures  to  be 
taken for each one to allow the volume and costs of the outputs to be estimated.) 

Breakdown  

Commitments (in € million to three decimal places) 

Type  
of outputs 
(projects, files ) 

Number of 
outputs 

Average unit 
cost 

(total for years 
1…n)  

Total cost 

(total for years 
1…n)  

1 

2 

3 

4=(2X3) 

Action 1 

- Measure 1 

- Measure 2  

Action 2 

- Measure 1 

- Measure 2 

- Measure 3 

etc. 

TOTAL COST 

If necessary explain the method of calculation 

7. 

IMPACT ON STAFF AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENDITURE  

7.1. 

Impact on human resources 

Staff to be assigned to management of the 
action using existing and/or additional 
resources 

Number of 
permanent posts 

Number of 
temporary posts 

Total 

Description of tasks deriving from the 
action 

If necessary, a fuller description of the 
tasks may be annexed. 

Types of post 

Officials 
temporary staff 

or 

A 

B 

C 

Other human resources 

Total 

17 

For further information, see separate explanatory note. 

EN 

34 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
7.2. 

Overall financial impact of human resources 

Type of human resources 

Amount (€) 

Method of calculation *  

Officials 

Temporary staff 

Other human resources 

(specify budget line) 

Total 

The amounts are total expenditure for twelve months. 

7.3. 

Other administrative expenditure deriving from the action 

Budget line: A - 7031 

(number and heading) 

Overall allocation (Title A7) 

A0701 – Missions 

A07030 – Meetings 
A07031 – Compulsory committees 1 
A07032 – Non-compulsory committees 1 

A07040 – Conferences 

A0705 – Studies and consultations 

Other expenditure (specify) 

Information systems (A-5001/A-4300) 

Other expenditure - Part A (specify) 

Amount € 

Method of calculation 

119 100 

Standard costs 2004 
- € 650 for EU 25 
- € 1000 for future Member States 
- € 800 for non-government. experts 
2 Committee meetings per year: 
27 participants (25 Member States + 2 
future Member States). € 18 250 per 
meeting for the reimbursement of 
travel expenses. 
4 Expert working group meetings/year:
20 participants (25 Member States + 2 
future Member States + 3 non-
government. experts). € 20 650 per 
meeting for the reimbursement of 
travel expenses  

Total 

119 100 

The amounts are total expenditure for twelve months. 

1 Specify the type of committee and the group to which it belongs. 

I. 

II. 

Annual total (7.2 + 7.3) 

Duration of action 

III. 

Total cost of action (I x II) 

€119 100 

5 years 

€595 500 

The  needs  in  terms  of  human  and  administrative  resources  shall  be  covered  within  the 
allocation granted to the managing DG in the framework of the annual allocation procedure. 

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8. 

FOLLOW-UP AND EVALUATION 

8.1. 

Follow-up arrangements 

The  execution  of  the  tasks  laid  down  by  the  Directive  will  be  monitored  by  the 
Commission on the basis of the work programme of the RIS Committee. The work 
programme  and  the  related  timetable  for  the  execution  of  the  tasks  under  the 
Directive  will  be  established  at  the  initial  meetings  of  the  committee.  The  first  of 
these tasks is to introduce the technical guidelines for the implementation of RIS and 
the  adoption  of  the  technical  specifications  for  the  various  systems  at  Community 
level. 

8.2. 

Arrangements and schedule for the planned evaluation 

At the latest three years after the entry into force of the Directive, the Commission 
will draw up a report analysing the functioning of the RIS. The aim is to ensure that 
the  services  are  being  deployed  in  accordance  with  the  objectives  of  the  Directive 
and  with  the  technical  specifications  adopted  until  then.  The  assessment  will  be 
carried out in cooperation with the RIS Committee. 

9. 

ANTI-FRAUD MEASURES 

Not applicable 

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