Scientific paper ID 1540 : 2017/2

River shipping, together with road and rail transport, is one of the main three types of inland transportation. Cargoes transported by ships across EU inland waterways (canals, rivers and lakes), between inland ports and quays represent for only 6% of the total freight volume. The aim of the EU is redirection of a larger part of freight traffic from road infrastructure to ecological modes of transport, including inland waterway transport, as there are potential benefits in terms of cost reduction, pollution reduction and increasing transport safety.

The main infrastructure difficulties and key prerequisites of the development of inland water transport within Europe are pointed out in the article. There are also pointed out the main problems in the development of freight transport on the Rhine-Main-Danube basin and guidelines for improving them.