Press Release ECE/TRANS/00/3
Geneva,14 April 2000
The European Inland Waterway Network Moves Forward
With the
ratification by Italy of the European Agreement on Main Inland Waterways of International
Importance (AGN), 11 European countries have now committed themselves to develop a
homogeneous European inland waterway network. These countries are: Bulgaria; Croatia;
Czech Republic; Hungary; Italy; Luxembourg; Netherlands; Republic of Moldova; Romania;
Slovakia; and Switzerland. Six other countries which had signed the Agreement are also
expected to ratify it.
The Agreement entered into force on 26
July 1999. This international instrument, done by all European countries in Geneva in the
framework of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE), identifies the
main international inland waterway links in Europe and establishes uniform infrastructure
and operational parameters to which they should conform.
The international E inland waterways
network defined in the Agreement covers around 28,000 km of main navigable rivers and
canals and about 350 ports of international importance extending from the Atlantic
Ocean to the Ural mountains and connecting 37 countries in Europe and beyond. It also
includes coastal routes (see map).
The Agreement underlines the importance of
inland water transport which, in comparison with other modes of inland transport, presents
economic and environmental advantages and may, therefore, contribute to reducing
congestion, traffic accidents and negative environmental impacts in the pan-European
transport system, particularly along main congested international transport corridors in
Europe.
The AGN completes the already existing
UN/ECE European Agreements AGR, AGC and AGTC, which established the international E road,
E rail and E combined transport networks respectively.
For further information, please contact:
José Capel Ferrer, Director, or
Viatcheslav Novikov, Economic Affairs Officer
Transport Division
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE)
Palais des Nations
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Telephone: (+41 22) 917 24 00 / 78
Fax: (+41 22) 907 00 39
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
Website: http://www.unece.org/trans/main/sc3/sc3.html
In order to provide you with a better
service, we would appreciate it if you would send a copy of your article to: Information Unit, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE), Palais des
Nations, Room 356, CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland,
Tel: +(41 22) 917 44 44, Fax: +(41 22) 917
05 05,
E-mail: [email protected], Website: http://www.unece.org
Thank you. |