Inland Waterways and Environmental Protection

This report reviews experience in mitigating the environmental impacts of inland waterway development. It examines eff ective consultation and planning procedures across Europe. In particular it assesses the ways in which the EU Water Framework Directive aff ects the planning environment for international waterways and sets a new agenda for improving the ecological value of waterways. The report makes recommendations on good practice and identifi es the Danube river basin as the critical area for improvement. This is where the eff orts of international governmental organisations and NGOs could most usefully be combined to develop a basin-wide environmental protection and waterway development strategy.