Publications

Introduction :

Many seaports situated at the mouth of river deltas or in estuaries must undertake frequent maintenance dredging of their ports to maintain navigational depth. More often than not the dredged material contains contaminants that have settled with the sediment in the port area. The source of such contaminants is mostly upstream of the port; these sources may be diffuse (agriculture !) or point sources (chemical industries !).
In many ports the activities associated with shipping, loading and unloading represent another source of contaminants. Nevertheless, the bulk of contaminants comes from elsewhere. Not surprisingly, many port authorities are frustrated when the contamination level is considered to be so high that sea disposal is no longer an option. The need for alternative disposal sites brings with it considerable cost.
In a situation where ports compete with each other, at least at a regional level, such costs are considered to distort competition within the EU. In many cases specialists would also take the view that a decision taken by regulators concerning the dredging permit is unnecessarily conservative and causes disposal costs that may be characterised as wasteful.
During the last decade considerable expertise has been gained with the dredging and disposal of (contaminated) dredged material. Standards have been introduced in several European countries that are based on the definition of various levels of limit values for concentrations of contaminants.
The time has come to take stock and decide whether or not such a regulatory framework leads to permits for dredged material disposal that could be considered optimal. The term 'optimal' in this context means that the total cost plus the expected environmental impact would be optimised.

This note has been prepared in response to the question : Is it legal under the Habitats Directive to reserve large marine areas as conservation sites and, moreover, add extensive zones around the site where 'disturbing activities' are forbidden ?
This practice has been followed in Denmark and causes lots of problems and restrictions for the dredging industry.

Download the PDF file
This article provides reports on a seminar organised by PIANC in cooperation with the European Dredging Association (EuDA) and the Institute for Infrastructure, Environment and Innovation (IMI) and supported by the European Sea Port Organisation (ESPO) on the 20th March 2003 in Brussels.

This Report has been prepared as follow-up to the report ‘Bottlenecks in Waterways’ October 2000 and has been researched for the Maritime Industries Forum by the European Dredging Association.

Summary Report Phase I, May 2001

Introduction :

In the course of the 20th century decisions on transport infrastructure have been more and more embedded in often complex procedures and ‘ standardised’ methods. Nevertheless, decisions about large infrastructure investments remain difficult and can be the source of much friction because there is no common agreement on the final basis for the decision.
The decision criteria to develop transport infrastructure could be socio-economic considerations, but there are many examples of projects that were realised for other than economic reasons : transport connections, creating employment, political or strategic.
The current report aims to analyse in detail the existing decision-making processes and methodologies in use for transport infrastructure in various EU countries. The study compares for all transport modes the evaluation methodologies that are applied as well as the related planning procedures. In cases where a country uses distinct models for separate modes, the emphasis will be put on the waterborne transport evaluation.

Update on TEN’s for navigable waterways in Europe.

Index :

- Concluding Remarks and Top TEN Priority Projects
- Trans-European Networks: The European Dimension / Policies
- Network Aspects
- Trans European Transport : The Waterways Network
- TEN-Waterways : Status Review
- Federal Republic of Germany
- The Netherlands
- Belgium
- France
- Assessment
- Financing Aspects
- Discussion on the Trans-European Network of Waterways
- Concluding Remarks

Compiled by the European Dredging Association for the benefit of the 2nd International Conference on ‘Port - Coast - Environment’.
June 2000, Varna, Bulgaria.

In the European Maritime Industries Forum (MIF), a working group on coastal and sea space development has concentrated on selecting representative projects and studies that show the state of art or beyond in coastal engineering and land reclamation. These projects ought to be the result of an integrated coastal approach. Project selection and innovation and development aspects are emphasised.

Introduction :

Europe needs enormous investments in major infrastructure projects. Such projects must partly be realised at a national level, but in other cases the goal is to interconnect and develop existing infrastructure into trans-European networks or TENs.
This report deals with four specific issues :
- How can the public-private partnership be defined as distinct from other forms of private sector involvement in public infrastructure ?
- What are the constraints and conditions, to make PPP’s successful instruments in realising large infrastructure projects ?
- Which type of wet civil infrastructure projects could benefit more specifically from a PPP approach ?
- Can PPP’s be used as an instrument to realise (or to accelerate the realisation) of inland waterways infrastructure within the framework of TEN projects ?

Author F.J.Mink, Summer 1998

Introduction :

Dredging is the operation of removing material from under water. Dredging has grown into a very specialised activity the plant and equipment involved may have a capital cost of many millions of Euro; the largest of the modern dredgers found operating in the world today are capable of moving hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of material each week.
Dredgers can bring great benefit. They allow new ports and harbours to be developed, new land to be created and water transport to function safely. They allow pipelines to be laid in the North Sea, oil to be extracted from the Arctic and sandy beaches to be enjoyed by holidaymakers.
Dredging is involved in a wide range of environmental aspects. Cleaning-up of (highly) polluted soils as well as safely storage are part of the specialisation.
The wise-use of Wetlands is much integrated in our planning and works.

Introduction :

The Treaty of Rome (1957) sets out the structures for the development of a Europe-wide single market on the principle of freedom of movement of goods, persons, services and capital. In 1985, the European Commission published a White Paper on completing the internal market in which it elaborated an ambitious plan to abolish all existing controls and formalities between Members States. The Objectives of the 1985 White Paper were en forced in 1987 with the introduction of the Single European Act, 1987. The unification programme also included then development of a cross-border network for all transportation modes in order to maximise the mobility of persons and goods in the Union.
This policy paper will not discuss the entire European Transport policy, but will concentrate on those policies having an impact on waterborne transport and inlandwaterways en therefor conclude with a section on ways and means of public financing, in particular via European funds.