Rhine Navigation Commission

Lecture by Mr J-M Woehrling,

Secretary General

by Nathalie Kraus

The Rhine

At 820 miles and an average discharge of more than 2,000 cubic meters per second, the Rhine is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe. The name of the Rhine comes from the Celtic Renos, literally "that which flows", from the Proto-Indo-European root *rei- ("to flow, run"), which also gave the verb "to run" in English.

The Rhine formed most of the northern frontier of the Roman Empire, and since those days the Rhine has been a vital navigable waterway, carrying trade and goods deep inland. The many castles and prehistoric fortifications along the Rhine testify to its importance as a waterway. A castle identifies a location where traffic was stopped, usually for the purpose of collecting tolls, by the state controlling that portion of the river.

The Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine

The Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine dates back to the final act of the 1815 Congress of Vienna. Today, it is based on the so-called Mannheim Act (revised Rhine Navigation act) of 1868, now in its 1963 version. The Commission is the oldest still-active European international organisation. For Rhine navigation in the 19th century, it made the idea of European integration reality. It is situated on the Place de la République, in a very special authentic building, which stands as a testament to the impact of German imperialism on Strasbourg.

The main tasks of the Central Commission are to ensure the freedom of navigation on the Rhine and its tributaries, and to maintain a uniform legal regime governing navigation along the full length of the river.

The Netherlands, Belgium (remarkably, as it is not situated along the Rhine), Germany, France and Switzerland are member states of the Central Commission. Committee resolutions must be made unanimously. Thus, each member state has a veto right. By rotation, each member state chairs the committee for a period of two years. Switzerland last held the chair from 1996 to 1997.

The organisation has its headquarters in Strasbourg. Commission plenary sessions take place twice a year in the "Palais du Rhin". In addition, some 50 further meetings are held by ten sub-committees and their working groups which deal with legal, economic and technical matters. The permanent secretariat employs about 15 staff, and the organisation's annual budget amounts to EUR 1.6 million. The five member states make equal contributions to the budget.

EU
Both the Central Commission and the EU want to promote inland waterways navigation as a relatively environmentally friendly form of transportation. Increased co-operation thus makes sense. While responsibility for River Rhine shipping lies exclusively with the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine, the EU assumes major responsibilities for inland waterways navigation in other regions. It is currently preparing an inland waterways navigation treaty with some of the eastern and central European states. The decisions made, during the twice-yearly meetings in Strasbourg, by the Rhine Navigation Commission are binding and must be implemented by the member state countries.

In the area of environmental protection, issues regarding the implementation of the international treaty on eliminating waste from shipping on the Rhine and other inland waterways hold top priority. While the treaty regulates waste disposal and it’s financing, an international mechanism for financial compensation remains to be set up.

Furthermore, the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine continuously works on its most important activity, namely updating technical regulations for Rhine shipping to meet the most recent developments. These regulations are set out in the ordinances of the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine

Thanks to mister Woehrling and his interesting lecture, he made it clear that regulations about the Rhine are of great importance, because the Rhine as a waterway is stil often used as a way of transporting goods.

Also note: http://ccr-zkr.org

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