IRIS Europe 1
IRIS Europe I was a TEN-T co-financed project with the objective to expand the functionality of River Information Services, in which 8 countries (HU, NL, SK, AT, RO, BG, BE, FR) were involved between 01/2006 and 12/2008. In addition, cooperation partners from CZ, RS and HR contributed to the developments as cooperation partners. The project placed a special emphasis on the definition and (pilot) implementation of national and international RIS data exchange. RIS Services providing traffic and transport data exchange and calamity abatement support were validated by means of interlinked pilot implementations. The main results of IRIS Europe I include the following:
- The participating member states agreed that a multilateral legal agreement among the member states is recommended as basis for the international data exchange. This so-called “Technical and Administrative Agreement for the international data exchange with regard to River Information Services”, in short TAA, shall supplement the EU RIS Directive 2005/44/EC especially with relation to the exchange of vessel certification data and traffic information. This TAA was approved by the IRIS Europe I Steering Committee.
- The technical provisions for the international data exchange, the so called RIS Data Exchange Reference Documentation, regulate issues such as access rights, data exchange processes, data encryption and authentication. They serve as Annexes to the TAA and were elaborated within IRIS Europe I. The technical provisions are based on already existing and upcoming Commission Regulations concerning the technical specifications for RIS. During the elaboration, the stakeholders such as maritime and inland ports and inland shipping branch organisations were consulted.
Objectives
IRIS Europe I was set up as a Europe-wide project in order to expand the functionality of River Information Services on the European waterway network. The project addressed on the elimination of existing bottlenecks and intended to define the additional functionality in the field of River Information Services (RIS) in the Danube and Rhine-Seine region. The project focused especially on cross-border information services and the related data exchange and procedures. Newly developed RIS Services such as traffic and transport information exchange, hull data exchange and calamity abatement service have been validated by means of pilot installations, which were interconnected among each other.
The study contributed to the stimulation of harmonized investments in infrastructure for River Information Services on basis of the EU RIS Directive in order to improve safety, efficiency and environmental friendliness on European inland waterways.
Furthermore IRIS Europe I met the general objectives of the European Commission, as set up in Article 5 of Decision No. 1692/96/EC, in order integrate transport networks more efficiently by interlinking modes of transport with a view to making better use of the inherent advantages of each. By providing RIS services both in the old and new EU Member States, also inland navigation respectively inland waterway transport and intermodal transport were promoted within these European landlocked regions plus showing opportunities to interconnect inland navigation with maritime traffic. One of the positive effects of intelligent (inland navigation) traffic systems is also the (in-)direct benefit for safety and security for passengers and critical infrastructure and environmental concerns (e.g. waste management). Moreover, it stimulates the cooperation alongside the Rhine/Meuse-Main-Danube inland waterway axis (Priority TEN Project #18) and the Seine-Scheldt inland waterway axis (Priority TEN Project #30) with links to short sea shipping though connections at seaports.
The specific objectives of the project were therefore:
- Pilot implementation of the ‘EU RIS Directive’ (Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on harmonised River Traffic Information Services on inland waterways in the Community) in the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.
- Determine and pilot implement additional RIS Services, especially on the focus of cross-border operation and environmental Services, next to the minimum requirements according to the ‘RIS Directive’.
- Harmonisation and Standardisation of RIS-Technology, Applications and Services above the level of the minimum requirements according to the ‘RIS Directive’ by supporting the relevant expert groups of the European RIS Platform with gained knowledge.
- Cross-border co-operation of the national authorities responsible for inland navigation and relevant for RIS according to the ‘RIS Directive’, focusing on cross border Services including the procedures of international exchange of relevant data.
- To lead the way of implementing the RIS Directive in Europe by supporting follow-up initiatives for the implementation of the ‘RIS Directive’ by efficient knowledge transfer and provision of a functional reference specification for the implementation of RIS according to the ‘RIS Directive’.
- Close the lacks of RIS pilot infrastructure on the ‘Upper Danube’, especially in Slovakia, by setting up appropriate national as well as international infrastructure segments and ensure sophisticated links between them by defining and implementing relevant interfaces. Consequently additional benefits will be gained by merging the individual Services as well as efficient cross border management will be ensured.
The specific key activities within IRIS Europe were:
- Implement electronic reporting infrastructure in AT, SK, HU, RO
- Set up hull data bases in AT, SK, HU, NL, RO for deployment of Unique ID
- Set up AIS infrastructure in SK
- Amend the AIS infrastructure in HU
- Interconnect national RIS Centers in AT, SK, HU, NL, RO
- Elaborate studies for additional RIS services
For more details concerning the project IRIS Europe I please contact the Project Management Team of IRIS Europe II (contact details are provided under the menu "Contact").
