Expert Group on Ship-Generated Waste (EG WASTE)

On 4th- 5th of March 2020, in Budapest, the Danube Commission (DC) hosted its regular Expert Group on Ship-Generated Waste. The meeting was attended by experts from the DC member states (Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine), including the representative of the Convention on the Collection, Deposit and Reception of Waste Produced during Navigation on the Rhine and Inland Waterways (CDNI).
Adherence to the CDNI Convention became a central issue of the meeting’s discussions, including the outstanding topic with regard to the financing model for the Danube ship waste.
The Commission unveiled updates on infrastructure created for the collection and disposal of waste from ships operating on the Danube.
While acknowledging steps taken to improve the current situation in this field, the Expert Group deemed it important to proceed further with the DC’s questionnaire and to harmonize the definitions contained in the Recommendations for Organizing the Collection of Ship-Generated Waste in Danube Navigation and Basic Rules of Navigation for the Danube. It was also agreed to continue updating the Recommendations and to examine its compliance with UNECE Resolution No. 21 (2020) and ES-TRIN standard regarding waste treatment equipment, as well as local waste collection rules specified in the responses to the Questionnaire.