Inland waterway transport plays an important role for the transport of goods in Ukraine. Compared to other modes of transport, which are often confronted with congestion and capacity problems, inland waterway transport is characterized by its reliability, energy efficiency and major capacity for increased exploitation.
Inland waterway transport is a competitive alternative to road and rail transport. In particular, it offers an environment-friendly alternative in terms of both energy consumption and noise emissions. In addition, inland waterway transport ensures a high degree of safety, in particular when it comes to the transportation of dangerous goods. Finally, it contributes to decongesting overloaded road networks in densely populated regions.
The aim of the IWT Law 1182-1
- To regulate relations in the area of inland water transport, use of vessels, rivers and their fairways;
- To establish a legal status of river ports and terminals, inland water transport infrastructure;
- To provide a level playing field for the sector (all IWW transport operators comply with the same rules and regulations);
- To enhance access to the transportation market and liberalise the IWW market;
- To improve the integration of IWT in national and global supply chains of companies;
- To support the development of the Ukrainian economy by advancing IWT as a cost-efficient and environmental-friendly mode of transport;
- To contribute to the creation of feasible conditions for private investment in river port facilities;
- To increase safety of navigation and reduce accidents on Ukrainian rivers.
The new IWT Law will also contribute to the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement (Article 367) by:
- Contributing to the development of sustainable transport systems;
- Promoting efficient, safe and secure transport operations;
- Supporting intermodal transport systems, and;
- Improving the main transport links between Ukraine and the European Union.
Benefits/advantages of the IWT Law 1182-1
- Establishment of a sustainable financing scheme for operating costs for maintenance and capital expenditures for the development of inland waterways infrastructure;
- Establishment of an IWT Board where public and private stakeholders of the sector coordinate efforts to advance IWT in Ukraine;
- Establishment of a single entity responsible for the development and operation of public IWW infrastructure;
- Simplifies registration of vessels via a unified registration procedure;
- Abolishment of dues presently charged to IWT vessels (e.g. lock dues, bridge opening, fees, etc);
- Creation of favorable conditions for private investors in river port infrastructure;
- Regulates and rationalizes inspections of Ukrainian vessels as per EU best practice;
- Identifies the need for a strategy for the development of IWT in Ukraine.
Towards the Future - EU support
To ensure sustainability of sector improvement, the EU funded project “Assistance to Dnipro Transport Development” focuses on facilitating and promoting the reform in the waterborne transport in line with the obligations of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, in particular the promotion of efficient, effective and safe transport operations and the gradual approximation of Ukraine’s legislation to EU legislation.
The purpose of the project is threefold:
1. Improve the legal and regulative framework required for reforming the IWW-subsector in relation to the Association Agreement;
2. Contribute to increase the capacity of the Ministry of Infrastructure and related institutions with the aim to improve the safety, efficiency and effectiveness of IWT-systems in Ukraine;
3. Develop a comprehensive IWT development plan for the Dnipro River.
