The EU Strategy of Development for Inland Water Transport on the Danube. Intermodality and Logistics Services

The European Union has developed a strategy for inland water transport that will be implemented through programs financed by the Regional Development Fund. The priority areas will focus on improving: transport connections, energy connections, the environment, socio-economic development and security. This paper will analyze how this strategy is implemented in Romania, through programs concerning the development of inland transport on the Danube. As road infrastructure is insufficiently developed in our country, traffic congestion is an important problem for transportation of goods. Diversifying the means of transport could offer an alternative to road transport, but it must be viable and safe. A main concern is the cost, and we will explore the possibilities to enhance competitiveness of inland water transport. An important factor in this matter is intermodality and related logistics services.