Austria - National Programme Information

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National policies

The agreement of Barcelona from the year 1921 secures the right for the states without seacoast to exercise sea-going vessel travel under their own flag. Presently the only open sea shipping company in Austria is the Austrian group of Lloyd witch is located in Vienna. It operates trading vessels under Austrian sea-flag, predominantly for the transport of dry bulk goods. The larger part of the fleet (ships with a load-carrying capacity between 4.000 and 6.000 tons) operates in the sea-areas approximately around Europe, some also world-wide. The most strongly represented nations in the crews are Germany, Poland, Croatia and Lithuania. The Danube river flows through the country on over 350 kilometres and is the most important water route of the Austrian inland navigation. Before the countries of the former Eastern Bloc opened economically and politically, national societies with a monopoly character dominated shipping on the Danube. Austria had only few shipping lines apart from the national "Danube steam shipping company (DDSG)" until the 90's of the previous century. With retreat of the state, private enterprises could take over the ships of the DDSG and are successful at the free market. The opening of the Rhine Main Danube channel provided Austria the entrance to the net of the water routes of Western Europe. It opened the possibility for clear increase of the offer of different traffic capacities.

 

Priority areas

ICT based river information systems are important for official and commercial use. Environmental issues (e.g. the increase the safety of inland navigation) and the launch of a training offensive is necessary.
New Markets provide logistics advice in the field of Danube navigation, stimulate cooperation between inland navigation and reload/ rail, support the construction of scheduled liner services on the Danube, push the foundation of national inland navigation development agencies in the Danube countries. Funds are important for flexible and competitive transhipment facilities, for an environmentally friendly and market orientated Austrian fleet, for the development of scheduled container liner services and new multimodal transport, and for an innovative use of technology in Danube navigation. International activities push the development and implementation of the European action plan, contribute to the harmonization of legislative and institutional framework conditions, improve the image of European inland navigation.

 

Funding organisations

Ministry of Education and Science

Federal ministry is funding and overseeing, among other institutions, all public universities in Austria. Site provides a reasonable first overview on the nation’s system of public education.

 

Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology

The Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology has the following mission:
to create and develop an intelligent and efficient infrastructure; to shape and promote innovative initiatives.

Programme information

National Action Plan Danube Navigation
This program is the national conversion of the European action program for inland waterway transport NAIADES. The Program converted through "via Donau"– Österreichische Wasserstraßen-Gesellschaft mbH was founded on 1 January 2005 by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology for the preservation and development of the Danube waterway.

 

 

Ministry of Education and Science
Mr. Michael Fastenbauer (via donau)
Tel: +43 1 5954896 63
Fax: +43 1 5954896 19
Email: michael.fastenbauer@via-donau.org

 

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