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 Commissions 


PIANC has 8 commissions responsible for the coordination of the technical activities of the Association: 

 

  • Inland Navigation Commission (InCom)

  • Maritime Navigation Commission (MarCom)

  • Environmental Commission (EnviCom)

  • Recreational Commission (RecCom)

  • International Co-operation Commission (CoCom)

  • Young Professionals Commission (YPCom)

  • Finance Commission (FinCom)

  • Promotion Commission (ProCom) 

The results of the Commissions and Working Groups are published in technical reports. Most studies are short to medium term, conducted by working groups which comprise members from various countries with an interest in the work being carried out.

 

 


 Congresses, Seminars and Conferences  


To optimally attain the goals of PIANC a major International Congress is held every 4 years in one of the member countries. The congress is open to members and non-members to present and discuss topics relevant to the waterborne transport infrastructure sector.

The aim is to present and discuss papers on subjects of current significance to waterways and maritime interests. The Congresses are particularly valuable for the exchange of knowledge and options for participants of all ages.

PIANC members stay connected through regular communications: “On Course”, a quarterly magazine with technical articles and news from the waterborne transport community and “Sailing Ahead”, an e-newsletter for the PIANC community.

 

 


 Austrian Activities: Ports  


State-of-the-art know-how and the corresponding technical equipment is required in order to upgrade the ports in Austria to trimodal centers (waterway, rail and road). PIANC Section Austria is an internationally recognized platform for extensive two-way know-how transfer with a permanent worldwide orientated know-how and experience potential. The goal-orientated application of this know-how should lead to an enhancement of the attractiveness of waterways as a means for goods transport.

 

PIANC observes with particular interest projects concerning the ports and navigational processes. In this context, the most important project was the installation of River Information Services (RIS). The implementation of RIS makes it possible to track and trace goods, determine ship positions and to react to the latest planning demands. For the ports, the ability to plan ahead and the reduction administrative bureaucracy would allow faster transshipment and reduce the number of lay days. The resulting short-term nautical information contributes to the increase of the reliability of waterway transportation.

 

These extensive improvements in the field of nautical port-specific and transshipment-organizational information enable more efficient transshipment activity. In turn, this enhances the quality and reliability of freight transport on waterways. The profitability of this transport medium can be increased significantly.

 

 


 Austrian Activities: Freight Transportation  


For almost 200 years, the Danube, as the only continuous navigable connection between Austria and the sea, has been used for motor-driven freight transportation over long distances.

 

In the last 10 years, the transport volume on the Austrian Danube increased by 70 %. This positive development was fostered by the opening of the Maine-Danube-Channel in 1992 and the recently stabilization of the political situation in the Balkan States. The Danube is also an important factor relieving traffic on the roads in eastern Danube countries and on the poorly constructed roads in the Danube corridor. EU expansion has lead to an increasing flow of goods to and from Eastern-European countries. This increase must be seen as a means for promoting inland waterway transportation in the Danube area. The transparency of competition situations between transport modes can contribute to a diversification of offers and with it to a stimulation of the market.  

The Danube still has free capacity, and inland navigation as an environment-friendly transport mode is a perfect innovation field for the environmentally friendly traffic concepts pushed in Europe.

 

An important point for the future development is a successful integration of an overall traffic concept for inland navigation. Different support measures have to be developed and used to be able to provide intermodal traffic with corresponding infrastructure, above all with terminals and loading routes. The expansion of the European Union to Eastern Europe requires the creation of basic conditions and the harmonization of the navigation regime. Above all, however, an unobstructed electronic communication not only between ships, but also with the authorities, ports and other involved companies has to be created. PIANC is very engaged in this field and its efforts are an important contribution to the improvement of the situation in the branch.