The new Austrian State Secretary for infrastructure, Christa Kranzl, announced that the budget for the implementation of the Austrian Action Plan on Inland Navigation has been approved. The Danube corridor is the fastest growing freight corridor in Austria, accounting for an increase of 230% in 1994-2005.

Further growing transport demand will lead to a dramatic increase of CO2 emissions. This is why the Austrian government wants a twofold increase of current traffic on the Danube by 2015, to relieve traffic congestion and to annually save some EUR 13 million of external costs. The plan covers, besides market and fleet incentives, works on the Danube east of Vienna to enhance shipping and to protect the floodplains of the Danube National Park which suffers from continuous riverbed erosion.

An interdisciplinary steering committee bringing together experts in hydrology, ecology, transport and regional economy supervises this ambitious project to ensure the integration of economic, societal and environmental interests, setting a prime example to win-win projects in sustainable development.

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