Regulations and administrative procedures for vessels and transhipment operations as well as customs and border crossing procedures vary from country to country. There are a high number of these regulations and many differences among them. This situation causes significant administrative efforts for the companies and quite often leads to delays in transport times like in the case of customs and border crossing procedures. In addition, some public administrations demand considerable fees and duties for services which are redundant or even unnecessary.

Pro Danube International together with its members wants to identify obstructive and costly administrative procedures which hamper transport and logistics operations and advocate for their abolishment or at least for their harmonisation. Addressing the policy makers, Pro Danube International demands a “same river – same rules” policy with a minimum of harmonized rules and procedures in all Danube states.

The EUSDR only can achieve its ambitious goals if it succeeds in involving private business in the definition and implementation of all its priorities and actions. In order to ensure such substantial participation, Pro Danube International considers that EU programs must allow AND actively stimulate private sector participation. Dedicated and well elaborated interfaces for private sector investment have to be created and cross-program project opportunities are needed; there is a strong demand for higher flexibility in programming and implementation and clear procedures on how to deal with state-aid regulations. Thus:

• Public investment financed by EU programs must be better aligned with private investment, which requires:
• An overall joint strategy for development projects (many of them even cross-border);
• Improved/new instruments for public-private co-operation;
• Co-ordinated project planning and project execution/strong & professional project management ;
• Improved/new instruments for public-private co-operation;

Alignment of public and private investment will increase leverage of public spending and will stimulate economic growth in the region;

• Private sector participation must be well organized and managed:
• Danube service operators often have limited human resources for development projects;
• Participation in EU programs necessitates considerable expertise, has a high level of bureaucracy (long procedures, high administrative efforts) as well as a high risk of failure;

Pro Danube International possesses the necessary know-how and expertise to represent the interests of the private sector and support them with policy facilitation and the initiation and implementation of multi-stakeholder projects of interest to the Danube shipping and logistics industry with EUSDR and EU funding schemes.

The Danube fleet numbers c. 450 propelled units and about 1500 barges with an average age of more than 35 years. The poor waterway infrastructure and the low transport prices significantly hamper modernization of these vessels and deprive the sector for investment into new vessels. However, there is a clear need to invest into the Danube fleet in order improve cost-efficiency and environmental performance. This is even more evident under consideration of forthcoming EU air emission regulations which shall otherwise result into high adaptation costs.

Pro Danube International considers technical innovation as needed and possible, yet the possible technical solutions must be economically viable. For this Pro Danube International requires a transition road-map for new techniques & technologies. The Study “Danube Innovative Vessel”, which was commissioned in autumn 2012 by EC/DG REGIO certainly forms an important preparatory step. This is why Pro Danube International became directly involved into this study as a sub-contractor. Above this, Pro Danube International facilitates two core activities which shall trigger the modernization of the Danube fleet:

• The implementation of LNG as fuel for Danube vessels: LNG as fuel has an extremely high potential to fulfil efficiency and environmental objectives. Therefore, Pro Danube International initiated a transnational co-ordination project and filed this project together with 32 partners from 12 countries to the EU Program TEN T MAP Call 2012 (deadline 26 March 2013). For further information on this project see: LNG Masterplan for the Rhine-Main-Danube
• The development of State Aid Schemes for fleet modernization: The barging sector requires financial support to modernise and upgrade the fleet through national and EU funding schemes. Pro Danube International therefore lobbies the development of national State Aid Schemes in all Danube states similar to those which exist in almost all Western European states. We also recommend to back-finance these programs with the help of the Structural Funds of the European Union.