Recital (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.