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Document 32025L2482
Directive (EU) 2025/2482 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 November 2025 amending Directive 2005/44/EC on harmonised river information services (RIS) on inland waterways in the Community
Directive (EU) 2025/2482 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 November 2025 amending Directive 2005/44/EC on harmonised river information services (RIS) on inland waterways in the Community
Directive (EU) 2025/2482 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 November 2025 amending Directive 2005/44/EC on harmonised river information services (RIS) on inland waterways in the Community
PE/32/2025/REV/1
OJ L, 2025/2482, 12.12.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2025/2482/oj (BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, GA, HR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)
In force
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Official Journal |
EN L series |
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2025/2482 |
12.12.2025 |
DIRECTIVE (EU) 2025/2482 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
of 26 November 2025
amending Directive 2005/44/EC on harmonised river information services (RIS) on inland waterways in the Community
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 91(1) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1),
After consulting the Committee of the Regions,
Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (2),
Whereas:
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(1) |
Directive 2005/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) establishes a framework for the deployment and use of harmonised river information services (RIS) in the Union. The deployment of RIS on inland waterways supports the safety and efficiency of transport by inland waterways, and ultimately the sustainability and attractiveness of the sector, by increasing the efficiency of inland waterway transport operations. |
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(2) |
Since the entry into force of Directive 2005/44/EC, the inland waterway sector has benefited from the provision of harmonised RIS. However, the level of harmonisation between Member States varies, and the process of introducing the necessary specifications has proved to be lengthy. Additionally, the Commission communication of 11 December 2019 entitled ‘The European Green Deal’ calls for the further development of an automated and connected multimodal mobility. Consequently, RIS should be adapted to address those new challenges. Furthermore, the Commission communication of 9 December 2020 entitled ‘Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy – putting European transport on track for the future’ proposes the revision of Directive 2005/44/EC as one of the measures to achieve the objective of promoting the creation of a truly smart transport system, efficient capacity allocation and traffic management. The Commission communication of 24 June 2021 set out an action plan entitled ‘NAIADES III: Boosting future-proof European inland waterway transport’, which states that in order to support the objective of inland waterways being part of a seamless system of harmonised RIS by 2030, revisions of the legal framework on RIS would aim to help close existing harmonisation and interoperability gaps with other transport modes, and contribute to improved data availability, reuse and interoperability of digital systems, in line with the Commission communication of 19 February 2020 entitled ‘A European strategy for data’. Those changes and developments, as well as the experience gained in the implementation of Directive 2005/44/EC, should be taken into account when adapting RIS. |
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(3) |
In the interest of adopting a coherent approach to interoperability in the public service sector, when implementing the electronic single-point-of-access platform for RIS (the ‘European RIS Environment’) and other solutions that fall within the scope of Directive 2005/44/EC, the principles laid down in the European Interoperability Framework (EIF), that is set out in the Commission communication of 23 March 2017 entitled ‘European Interoperability Framework – Implementation Strategy’, pursuant to Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2024/903 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4), should be followed. |
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(4) |
Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5) lays down requirements for the development of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) to achieve the smooth functioning of the internal market, and aims to ensure that the same high-quality services are available and compatible with the systems of other transport modes along that network. |
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(5) |
Given that the majority of journeys of inland waterway vessels are of an international nature, RIS should be focused on those inland waterways of Member States that form part of the TEN-T and that are directly connected to another Member State’s inland waterways that also form part of the TEN-T, and which are thus of high importance for the Union. Member States should be able to continue extending, on a voluntary basis, the RIS requirements to parts of their inland waterways network other than those that form part of the TEN-T to account for national specificities. In a cross-border context, it should also be possible for one of the Member States concerned to provide RIS. The Member States’ competent authorities should cooperate with a view to providing RIS on cross-border inland waterways. |
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(6) |
In view of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, cooperation between the Union and Russia in the field of RIS is neither appropriate nor in the interest of the Union. As a consequence, cross-border cooperation on RIS with Russia is no longer a priority on the territory of the Member States. |
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(7) |
The experience gained from the application of Directive 2005/44/EC has shown that it is important to strengthen the technical specifications concerning the provision of data for navigation and voyage planning on inland waterways in order to improve the quality and timeliness of information provided to RIS users. The European Reference Data Management System (ERDMS) contains reference data and code lists necessary for the proper functioning of RIS and is set up and currently operated by the Commission. The operation of the ERDMS could be transferred to a third party in the future. |
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(8) |
The availability to RIS users, during navigation, of up-to-date and accurate information regarding the condition of the fairway and specific points like bridges, locks and inland ports is expected to improve the overall efficiency of the inland waterway sector. RIS should therefore include up-to-date exchanges of data with semi- and fully automated management of infrastructure systems of locks and movable bridges as well as with port community systems of inland ports. |
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(9) |
In order for RIS to allow for interconnection with the logistics chain, it is important that information is shared not only among the inland waterway transport users, for instance through port community systems of inland ports and smart inland waterway infrastructure systems, but also with systems and applications of other modes of transport. The maritime National Single Windows (MNSW) within the European Maritime Single Window environment (EMSWe), established by Regulation (EU) 2019/1239 of the European Parliament and of the Council (6), should enable harmonised ship reporting across the Union in maritime transport. The exchange of traffic-related information, such as arrival and departure times, would ensure interoperability, multimodality, and smooth integration of inland waterway transport (IWT) with the overall logistics chain. The electronic freight transport information (eFTI), established by Regulation (EU) 2020/1056 of the European Parliament and of the Council (7), should form the basis for the exchange of cargo information on dangerous goods and waste between RIS users where required. When necessary, RIS should enable links with, and should make information available to, digital systems and platforms of other modes of transport. |
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(10) |
The exchange of information between inland waterway vessels and inland ports, for example on availability of port installations, operating times, or vessel and cargo information, is not always optimal, thus impacting the efficiency of IWT operations. Information on the availability of alternative fuel infrastructure in inland ports is of particular importance in promoting the environmental performance of the sector. In order to simplify and streamline the exchange of such information and improve the overall efficiency of the sector, it is important that standardised interfaces be established and become part of RIS and that the necessary technical specifications are developed. |
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(11) |
The use of the European RIS Environment should streamline the provision of RIS, improve efficiency of IWT operations and reduce the burden on RIS providers and users. The European RIS Environment should support relevant services, be a central point for the exchange of RIS information within the inland waterways sector as well as with other transport modes, and therefore become the main digital backbone for the provision of RIS in the Union. Member States should designate one or more competent authorities responsible for operating the European RIS Environment. Those competent authorities are controllers, as defined in Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council (8), for the purpose of operating the European RIS Environment. |
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(12) |
In order to ensure uniform conditions for the introduction of the European RIS Environment, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission to establish the framework for the development and the functioning of the European RIS Environment. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (9). |
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(13) |
Implementing acts under this Directive should not be adopted by the Commission where the committee referred to in this Directive delivers no opinion, for example where there is no qualified majority in support of an opinion, whether positive or negative, and where the draft implementing act is not submitted to the appeal committee or where the appeal committee delivers a negative opinion. In accordance with the principle of sincere cooperation, Member States and the Commission should collaborate to swiftly set up the necessary operational characteristics, roles and procedures for the European RIS Environment. |
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(14) |
Cooperation with third countries, in particular neighbouring countries, is relevant in order to ensure connection and interoperability between the European RIS Environment and the national RIS of those third countries. |
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(15) |
The European RIS Environment should provide for the possibility for RIS users to submit feedback on the application of this Directive and ensure that such feedback is transmitted to the Member State concerned. Member States should set up a simple and accessible procedure for handling such feedback in a transparent and impartial manner. Member States’ authorities should cooperate in the handling of feedback involving cross-border elements, such as incompatible standards in reporting of vessel information, since 75 % of inland waterway transport operations includes international voyages. Analysis of the subject matter of the feedback received, as well as its frequency, makes it possible to identify the extent of compliance with this Directive, thus supporting the monitoring of implementation by identifying areas where implementation can be improved. It is therefore important that that information is collected and provided to the Commission on an annual basis. |
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(16) |
The development of technical specifications should follow a set of principles, in particular the principles set out in Annex II to this Directive, in order to ensure the proper and harmonised implementation of Directive 2005/44/EC. Those principles should outline the main elements that each RIS component should include. |
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(17) |
The requirements and technical specifications for RIS should ensure in particular that: RIS data which constitute personal data under Regulation (EU) 2016/679 can be processed solely in accordance with a comprehensive, rights-based access-control system that provides assigned functionalities; all competent authorities can have immediate access to those data in accordance with their respective regulatory competences; appropriate technical and organisational measures are implemented to ensure that the processing by electronic means of personal data can be carried out in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council (10), including for the purposes of protection against personal data breaches; and the processing of sensitive commercial information can be carried out in a way that respects the confidentiality of that information. |
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(18) |
In order to ensure the safe and optimal navigation of vessels on inland waterways, Member States should be aware of the location of all inland waterway vessels, including through the use of automatic identification systems (AIS) data. Member States should also exchange RIS-related information to increase the efficiency of RIS and reduce reporting requirements. Where the transmission and exchange of RIS-related information for those purposes entails the processing of personal data, such as the processing of names or the processing of location data when such processing enables the identification, directly or indirectly, of a person, Member States should ensure the lawfulness of the processing of those personal data in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and Directive 2002/58/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (11), where applicable. |
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(19) |
In order to ensure that RIS users are supplied with the necessary information concerning navigation and voyage planning on inland waterways, and taking account of scientific and technical progress, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) should be delegated to the Commission in respect of amending the minimum data requirements set out in Annex I to Directive 2005/44/EC. It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level, and that those consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making (12). In particular, to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts, the European Parliament and the Council receive all documents at the same time as the Member States’ experts, and their experts systematically have access to meetings of Commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts. |
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(20) |
Where duly justified by an appropriate analysis and in the absence of pertinent and up-to-date international standards to ensure safety of navigation, or where changes in or the outcome of the decision-making process of the European committee for drawing up standards in the field of inland navigation (CESNI) would compromise Union interests, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 TFEU should be delegated to the Commission in respect of amending Annex III to Directive 2005/44/EC in order to provide appropriate technical specifications for RIS, in line with the principles set out in Annex II to Directive 2005/44/EC and with the aim of safeguarding Union interests. |
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(21) |
The experience gained from the implementation of Directive 2005/44/EC reveals that the lengthy period for introducing and updating the technical specifications laid down therein has affected the sector’s performance. It is therefore important to change the process by which technical specifications are introduced. |
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(22) |
Directive (EU) 2016/1629 of the European Parliament and of the Council (13) introduced a process based on technical specifications developed by the CESNI. CESNI, which acts under the auspices of the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine (CCNR) and is open to experts from all Member States, is responsible for drawing up the technical standards in the field of inland waterway transport. Experience has shown that CESNI has developed and updated technical requirements for inland navigation vessels in an organised and timely manner. Taking into account the expertise of CESNI and the experience gained from the implementation of Directive (EU) 2016/1629, a similar approach should be applied with regard to Directive 2005/44/EC. |
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(23) |
In order to ensure a high level of safety and efficiency in inland navigation, to ensure the provision of RIS, and to take into account scientific and technical progress and other developments in the sector, the reference to the applicable technical specifications for RIS, namely the European Standard for River Information Services (ES-RIS), should form an integral part of Directive 2005/44/EC. |
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(24) |
The Committee on boatmasters’ certificates for the carriage of goods and passengers by inland waterway referred to in Article 11 of Directive 2005/44/EC has been abolished. In its place, the Inland Waterway Transport Committee, which possesses expertise in standards and technical specifications in the inland waterway sector, should assist the Commission in respect of RIS as a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011. Furthermore, this Directive introduces amendments to Articles 5 and 12 of Directive 2005/44/EC relating to the Committee procedure. Article 11 of Directive 2005/44/EC should therefore be amended to reflect those changes. |
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(25) |
For the purposes of better regulation and simplification, it should be possible for Directive 2005/44/EC to make reference to international standards without duplicating them in the Union legal framework. |
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(26) |
RIS was established in the Union in 2005, and since then considerable experience in its development and implementation has been gained by the Member States. Furthermore, the technical specifications necessary for the functioning of RIS are included in Annex III to Directive 2005/44/EC. In that regard, Article 12(2) of Directive 2005/44/EC should be deleted. In addition, by amending the scope of Directive 2005/44/EC to focus on the TEN-T, the requirement to implement RIS is applicable on the most important inland waterways, creating a reliable transport network. Article 12(3) of Directive 2005/44/EC should therefore be deleted. |
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(27) |
In accordance with the principle of proportionality, it is necessary and appropriate for the achievement of the basic objective of establishing a framework for the provision of RIS in the Union to lay down rules on its set up, operation and technical specifications. In accordance with Article 5(4) of the Treaty on European Union, this Directive does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve the objectives pursued. |
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(28) |
The European Data Protection Supervisor was consulted in accordance with Article 42(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 and delivered an opinion on 20 March 2024. |
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(29) |
Directive 2005/44/EC should therefore be amended accordingly, |
HAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:
Article 1
Amendments to Directive 2005/44/EC
Directive 2005/44/EC is amended as follows:
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(1) |
Article 1 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 1 Subject matter 1. This Directive establishes a framework for the deployment and use of harmonised river information services (RIS) in the Union in order to support inland waterway transport with a view to enhancing its safety, efficiency and sustainability and to facilitating interfaces with other transport modes. 2. This Directive provides a framework for the establishment and further development of technical requirements, specifications and conditions to ensure harmonised, interoperable and accessible RIS on inland waterways in the Union and to facilitate continuity with traffic management services of other transport modes through the use of standardised interfaces.’ |
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(2) |
in Article 2, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following: ‘1. This Directive applies to the implementation and operation of RIS on all inland waterways and inland ports of the Member States that form part of the trans-European transport network, as specified and listed in Annexes I and II to Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*1), and that are directly connected to inland waterways and inland ports of another Member State that form part of the trans-European transport network, as specified and listed in those Annexes. (*1) Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network, amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1153 and (EU) No 913/2010 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 (OJ L, 2024/1679, 28.6.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1679/oj).’;" |
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(3) |
in Article 3, the following points are added:
; |
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(4) |
Article 4 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 4 Setting-up of RIS 1. Member States shall take the necessary measures to implement RIS on inland waterways and inland ports falling within the scope of this Directive. 2. Member States shall develop RIS in such a way that the RIS application is efficient, expandable and interoperable so as to interact with other RIS applications and with systems for other modes of transport, while also providing interfaces to transport management systems and commercial activities. 3. In order to set up RIS, Member States shall:
The obligations referred to in this paragraph shall be fulfilled in compliance with the requirements and principles set out in Annexes I and II. 4. The competent authorities of the Member States shall establish RIS centres according to regional needs. 5. Member States shall jointly create, govern, operate, use and maintain a European RIS Environment that provides fairway-, infrastructure-, traffic-, and transport-related services, and shall provide the necessary data. The European RIS Environment shall be accessible for all RIS users and shall be the main platform for the exchange of RIS-related information. It shall contain interfaces for connections with systems of other transport modes and inland ports. Member States shall designate one or more competent authorities responsible for the operation of the European RIS Environment. The European RIS Environment shall allow for the possibility of contributions from third countries whose waterways are connected to the European inland waterway network and which are willing to cooperate and provide their network data, provided that the data are of identical quality and format to that of Member States and that they adhere to the same level of cybersecurity and data protection. 6. The Commission shall adopt implementing acts which lay down the operational characteristics, roles and procedures for the European RIS Environment and which identify its operating entity, based on the principles for RIS technical specifications set out in point 6 of Annex II, to ensure their uniform implementation throughout the Union. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 11(2). 7. For the use of the automatic identification systems (AIS), the Regional Arrangement on the Radiocommunication Service for Inland Waterways (RAINWAT), concluded in Bucharest on 12 April 2012, in the framework of the radio regulations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) shall apply. 8. Member States, in cooperation with the Union, if appropriate, shall encourage boat masters, operators, agents or owners of vessels navigating on their inland waterways and shippers or owners of goods carried on board such vessels to fully profit from the services which are made available under this Directive. 9. The Commission shall take appropriate measures to verify the interoperability, reliability, availability and safety of RIS. (*2) Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 September 2023 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure, and repealing Directive 2014/94/EU (OJ L 234, 22.9.2023, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1804/oj).’;" |
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(5) |
Article 5 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 5 Technical specifications 1. In order to support RIS and to ensure the interoperability of services in accordance with Article 4(2), the technical specifications referred to in Annex III in line with the principles set out in Annex II shall apply and shall cover in particular the following areas:
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(6) |
Article 6 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 6 Satellite positioning For the purposes of RIS, for which exact positioning is required, it is recommended to use satellite positioning and navigation systems, such as navigation services provided by Galileo, including the high-accuracy service and Open Service Navigation Message Authentication and the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) referred to in Regulation (EU) 2021/696 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*3). For the purposes of applications and services relying on Earth observation data, the use of Copernicus data, information and services is recommended. (*3) Regulation (EU) 2021/696 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing the Union Space Programme and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme and repealing Regulations (EU) No 912/2010, (EU) No 1285/2013 and (EU) No 377/2014 and Decision No 541/2014/EU (OJ L 170, 12.5.2021, p. 69, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/696/oj).’;" |
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(7) |
Article 8 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 8 Competent authorities Member States shall designate competent authorities responsible for the RIS application, for the international exchange of data, for the operation of the European RIS Environment and for the handling of feedback by RIS users. They shall notify those designated authorities to the Commission by 17 January 2029.’ |
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(8) |
the following Article is inserted: ‘Article 8a Feedback mechanism 1. Each Member State shall ensure that an effective, simple and accessible procedure is in place, building, where possible, on existing structures, to handle feedback from RIS users arising from the application of this Directive. 2. The handling of feedback from RIS users shall be carried out in a manner which avoids conflicts of interest. The handling of feedback shall be impartial and transparent and shall duly respect the right to freely conduct business. 3. Feedback from RIS users shall be submitted through the European RIS Environment and be transmitted to the relevant Member States. Member States shall ensure that RIS users and other relevant stakeholders are informed of where and how to submit feedback. 4. Member States shall ensure that feedback from RIS users is handled in a timely and appropriate manner and that the information on its follow-up is provided through the European RIS Environment. 5. The European RIS Environment shall inform the Commission, on an annual basis, of the amount of feedback received and of the way that the feedback was handled.’ |
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(9) |
Article 9 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 9 Rules on privacy, security of information and processing of personal data 1. Member States shall take the necessary technical and organisational measures in accordance with applicable Union and national law in order to protect RIS information and records against untoward events or misuse, including improper access, alteration or loss, and to ensure the confidentiality of commercial and other sensitive information exchanged pursuant to this Directive. 2. Data that constitute personal data as defined in Article 4, point (1), of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*4) may be processed on the basis of this Directive only insofar as such processing is necessary for the operation of RIS applications, with a view to ensuring harmonised, interoperable and accessible RIS on inland waterways in the Union and to facilitating standardised interfaces with traffic management services of other transport modes. (*4) Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj).’;" |
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(10) |
Article 10 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 10 Delegated powers 1. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 10a to amend Annex I, by updating and revising the minimum data requirements, taking into account the experience gained from the application of this Directive, and the technical progress in developing RIS technologies and applications. 2. In the absence of pertinent and up-to-date technical specifications, or when technical specifications developed by the European committee for drawing up standards in the field of inland navigation (CESNI) do not comply with any of the applicable requirements set out in the Annex II, or where changes in the decision-making process of CESNI or in other elements of the standard would compromise Union interests, and where duly justified by an appropriate analysis, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 10a to amend Annex III to provide appropriate technical specifications based on the principles set out in Annex II.’ |
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(11) |
Article 10a is amended as follows:
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(12) |
Article 11 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 11 Committee procedure 1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Inland Waterway Transport Committee. That committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*5). 2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply. Where the committee delivers no opinion, the Commission shall not adopt the draft implementing act and Article 5(4), third subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply. (*5) Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/182/oj).’;" |
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(13) |
in Article 12, paragraphs 2 and 3 are deleted; |
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(14) |
the following article is inserted: ‘Article 12a Monitoring The Commission shall monitor the setting up of RIS in the Union and shall report to the European Parliament and to the Council by 3 January 2034. The report shall include an analysis of the impact of this Directive on the level of integration of inland waterway transport in the overall logistics chain and shall examine the potential for new digital tools to increase efficiency throughout the TEN-T inland waterway network.’ |
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(15) |
Annex I to Directive 2005/44/EC is replaced by the text set out in Annex I to this Directive; |
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(16) |
Annex II to Directive 2005/44/EC is replaced by the text set out in Annex II to this Directive; |
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(17) |
the text set out in Annex III to this Directive is added as Annex III to Directive 2005/44/EC. |
Article 2
Transposition
1. Member States which have inland waterways and inland ports falling within the scope of this Directive shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 2 January 2029. They shall immediately inform the Commission thereof.
2. When Member States adopt those measures, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or be accompanied by such a reference on the occasion of their official publication. The methods of making such reference shall be laid down by Member States.
3. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the main measures of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.
Article 3
Entry into force
This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Article 4
Addressees
This Directive is addressed to the Member States which have inland waterways falling within the scope of Article 2 of Directive 2005/44/EC.
Done at Strasbourg, 26 November 2025.
For the European Parliament
The President
R. METSOLA
For the Council
The President
M. BJERRE
(1) OJ C, C/2024/4064, 12.7.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/4064/oj.
(2) Position of the European Parliament of 7 October 2025 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council of 27 October 2025.
(3) Directive 2005/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on harmonised river information services (RIS) on inland waterways in the Community (OJ L 255, 30.9.2005, p. 152, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2005/44/oj).
(4) Regulation (EU) 2024/903 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 March 2024 laying down measures for a high level of public sector interoperability across the Union (Interoperable Europe Act) (OJ L, 2024/903, 22.3.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/903/oj).
(5) Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network, amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1153 and (EU) No 913/2010 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 (OJ L, 2024/1679, 28.6.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1679/oj).
(6) Regulation (EU) 2019/1239 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 establishing a European Maritime Single Window environment and repealing Directive 2010/65/EU (OJ L 198, 25.7.2019, p. 64, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/1239/oj).
(7) Regulation (EU) 2020/1056 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 July 2020 on electronic freight transport information (OJ L 249, 31.7.2020, p. 33, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/1056/oj).
(8) Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj).
(9) Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/182/oj).
(10) Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/1725/oj).
(11) Directive 2002/58/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2002 concerning the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector (Directive on privacy and electronic communications) (OJ L 201, 31.7.2002, p. 37, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2002/58/oj).
(12) OJ L 123, 12.5.2016, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2016/512/oj.
(13) Directive (EU) 2016/1629 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2016 laying down technical requirements for inland waterway vessels, amending Directive 2009/100/EC and repealing Directive 2006/87/EC (OJ L 252, 16.9.2016, p. 118, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2016/1629/oj).
ANNEX I
‘ANNEX I
MINIMUM DATA REQUIREMENTS
As referred to in Article 4(3), point (a), in particular the following data shall be supplied:
|
(a) |
waterway axis with kilometre indication; |
|
(b) |
restrictions for vessels or convoys in terms of length, width, draught and air draught; |
|
(c) |
operation times of restricting structures, in particular locks and bridges; |
|
(d) |
predicted waiting times at bridges, locks and inland ports, in real time when available; |
|
(e) |
location of ports and transhipment sites; |
|
(f) |
reference data for water level gauges relevant to navigation; |
|
(g) |
location and, when available, current availability of alternative fuels infrastructure, including shore-side electricity supply. |
The information provided shall be kept up-to-date and, when available, reflect the real-time situation.’.
ANNEX II
‘ANNEX II
PRINCIPLES FOR RIS TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
1. General principles
The RIS technical specifications shall respect the following general principles:
|
(a) |
the indication of technical requirements for the planning, implementing and operational use of services and related systems; |
|
(b) |
the RIS architecture and organisation; |
|
(c) |
recommendations for vessels to participate in RIS, for individual services and for the stepwise development of RIS. |
2. Electronic chart display and information system for inland navigation (inland ECDIS)
The technical specifications to be established in accordance with Article 5 for an electronic chart display and information system for inland navigation (inland ECDIS) shall respect the following principles:
|
(a) |
compatibility with the maritime electronic chart display and information system (maritime ECDIS) in order to facilitate traffic of inland waterway vessels in mixed traffic zones of the estuaries and sea-river traffic; |
|
(b) |
the specification of minimum requirements for inland ECDIS equipment as well as the minimum content of electronic navigational charts with a view to the safety of navigation, in particular:
|
|
(c) |
the integration of up-to-date depth information on the fairway in the electronic navigational chart and display of such information in relation to a predefined or the actual water level; |
|
(d) |
the integration of additional information, for example of parties other than the competent authorities, in the electronic navigational chart and display of such information in the inland ECDIS without affecting the information that is needed for safe navigation; |
|
(e) |
the availability of electronic navigational charts to RIS users; |
|
(f) |
the availability of the data for electronic navigational charts to all manufacturers of applications, when appropriate against a reasonable cost-related charge; |
|
(g) |
the integration of up-to-date information on the waiting times at locks, bridges and inland ports and display of such information in the inland ECDIS without affecting the information that is needed for safe navigation. |
3. Electronic ship reporting
The technical specifications for electronic ship reporting in inland navigation in accordance with Article 5 shall respect the following principles:
|
(a) |
the facilitation of the electronic data exchange between the competent authorities of the Member States, between participants in inland as well as maritime navigation and in multi-modal transport where inland navigation is involved; |
|
(b) |
the use of a standardised transport notification message for ship-to-authority, authority-to-ship and authority-to-authority messaging in order to achieve compatibility with maritime navigation; |
|
(c) |
the use of internationally accepted code lists and classifications, possibly complemented by additional inland navigation needs; |
|
(d) |
the use of a unique European vessel identification number. |
4. Notices to skippers
The technical specifications for notices to skippers in accordance with Article 5, in particular regarding fairway information, traffic information and traffic management as well as voyage planning on inland waterways, shall respect the following principles:
|
(a) |
a standardised data structure using predefined text modules and encoded to a high extent in order to enable automatic translation of the most important content into other languages and to facilitate the integration of notices to skippers into voyage planning systems; |
|
(b) |
the compatibility of the standardised data structure with the data structure of inland ECDIS to facilitate integration of notices to skippers in inland ECDIS; |
|
(c) |
an alignment with technical specifications for navigation and voyage planning on inland waterways to ensure coherence of provided information. |
5. Vessel tracking and tracing systems
The technical specifications for vessel tracking and tracing systems in accordance with Article 5 shall respect the following principles:
|
(a) |
the specification of the requirements concerning systems and of standard messages as well as procedures so that they can be provided in an automated way; |
|
(b) |
the differentiation between systems suited to requirements of tactical traffic information and systems suited to requirements of strategic traffic information, both with regard to positioning accuracy and required update rate; |
|
(c) |
the description of the relevant technical systems for vessel tracking and tracing such as Inland AIS (inland automatic identification system); |
|
(d) |
compatibility of data formats with the maritime AIS system. |
6. Operational principles of the European RIS Environment
The technical specifications of the European RIS Environment in accordance with Article 5 shall respect the following principles:
|
(a) |
acting as a single digital window for inland navigation; |
|
(b) |
a harmonised, single point of access for up-to-date and, if possible, real-time information on fairway conditions for safe and sustainable navigation, voyage planning and port operations along the TEN-T; |
|
(c) |
enabling multi-modality transport chains while providing an adequate level of data protection; |
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(d) |
high level of data accuracy for seamless data exchange among relevant RIS users along the TEN-T (within and outside the Union); |
|
(e) |
user-friendly interface with serviceable, useful and practical functionalities such as the ability to save and store profiles; |
|
(f) |
harmonised, single point of reporting in accordance with the “once-only” principle, also for international voyages; |
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(g) |
link with other systems using information, communication, navigation or positioning/localisation technologies in order to manage infrastructure, mobility and traffic on the TEN-T effectively and to provide value-added services to citizens and operators, including systems for safe, secure, environmentally sound and capacity-efficient use of the TEN-T; |
|
(h) |
collect and report anonymised and aggregate usage data that can be used for the monitoring of the implementation of RIS, including at least the number of RIS users, data availability in the European RIS Environment, connection and the number of exchanges with other digital systems or platforms; |
|
(i) |
ensure cybersecurity. |
7. Availability of data for other digital systems or platforms
The technical specifications for exchange of data with other digital systems or platforms, in accordance with Article 5, shall respect the following principles:
|
(a) |
build on the functionalities provided by the European RIS Environment; |
|
(b) |
the facilitation of the electronic data exchange between RIS technologies and the databases and systems in use by other modes of transport, through appropriate data links and interfaces; |
|
(c) |
the specification of the requirements concerning other digital systems or platforms as well as procedures for automated data exchange; |
|
(d) |
the real-time exchange of information in particular for time-critical data; |
|
(e) |
ensuring the secure exchange of information in accordance with a comprehensive rights-based access-control system; |
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(f) |
anticipate a system exchange framework that will allow for future developments and links with additional systems as required, including exchanges with the future European Mobility Data Space and any other system that is designed to promote innovations in multimodality transport. |
8. Data for navigation and voyage planning on inland waterways
The technical specifications for data for navigation and voyage planning on inland waterways in accordance with Article 5 shall respect the following principles:
|
(a) |
provision of up-to-date information at regular intervals and at least when significant changes in the fairway situation take place that can impact the navigation; |
|
(b) |
cover at least the following information:
|
|
(c) |
provision of information through inland ECDIS, notices to skippers and the European RIS Environment as appropriate.’. |
ANNEX III
‘ANNEX III
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR RIS
The technical specifications applicable to RIS shall be those set out in the latest edition of the European Standard for River Information Services (ES-RIS) adopted by CESNI.’.
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2025/2482/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)