The Secretariat of the Danube Commission (DC) has organized, on 28 February 2023, the Meeting of Expert on Hydraulic Engineering (EM HYD).

The agenda, set in accordance with Priority 1a of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, focused on the cooperation with the EU Strategy and on the status of the Fairway Rehabilitation and Maintenance Master Plan.

The participants have had fruitful discussions on the status of fairway conditions in 2022 and on the framework conditions in 2023, both from the viewpoint of the Administrations and of the shipping companies. The representatives of the member states of the Danube Commission have made comprehensive and interesting presentations of activities planned for the next period.

The Plan of major works to achieve the recommended parameters of the fairway, hydrotechnical and other facilities on the Danube was another topic for debate, based on the information provided by the Secretariat on updating the Plan. The Waterway Administrations presented possible new projects or reported the progress made in the implementation of projects to achieve the recommended parameters of the fairway, hydrotechnical and other facilities on the Danube.

The participants received information about topic-related activities at the level of the European Union (DG MOVE) and other international organizations (ISRBС), with emphasis on the activities within the EU Guidelines on the Rhine-Danube TEN-T Core Network Corridor in the context of the revision of Regulation (EU) 1315/2013 of the European Union.

Presentations:

• Gert-Jan Muilerman,  PA 1a EUSDR / viadonau – EUSDR PA1a Inland Waterways
• Ralf Jina, DDSG – River Engineering Works
• Georgel Negrea. AFDJ – Difficulties encountered in 2022 in the transport of goods on the Danube
• Marius Paruse, ANC – Maintenance works Danube-Black Sea Canal and Northen Branch Poarta Alba-Midia Canal
• Romeo Soare, AFDJ – Dredging works 2022 sector rkm 863-rkm 610 and rkm 375-rkm 0
• Ivelin Zanev, EAMDR – Status of the main critical sections in the period 2020-2022 and hydrological information, Bulgaria
• Jasna Muskatirovic, Plovput – Inland Waterways in the Republic of Serbia- Current Status and Perspectives
• Lidija Hubalek, MMPI – Status of Inland Navigation in Croatia
• Csaba Bede, OVF – National status and update of activities in waterway management – Hungary
• Pavel Virág, Vladimir Novák, SVP – Information on the status of the fairway in 2022 and on the Program for maintenance work of 2023
• Simon Hartl, viadonau – Presentation and discussion of activities planned in Austria
• Dmytro Barinov, USPA – The Black Sea grain initiative and the fight against world hunger