COP_2023_V7_pages

7 Automation on Inland Waterways
The objective of this Chapter is to summarise the current position for automation on Inland
Waterways in Europe and is included as a reference to reflect the increasing interdependence of
vessels operating between inland waterways and other sea areas.
7.1 SUMMARY
7.1.1 The Working Party on Inland Water Transport (IWT) (SC.3) of the Inland Transport Committee (ITC) of the
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and its subsidiary body, the Working Party on the
Standardisation of Technical and Safety Requirements in Inland Navigation (SC.3/WP.3), act within the framework
of the policies, and under the general supervision of, ITC and operate in accordance with the UNECE Guidelines
for the establishment and functioning of Working Parties within UNECE.
7.1.2 In line with the objective of the UNECE transport subprogramme to facilitate the international movement of persons
and goods by inland transport modes and improve safety, environmental protection, energy efficiency and security
in the transport sector to levels that contribute effectively to sustainable transport, SC.3, assisted, where
appropriate, by SC.3/WP.3, carries out the following activities:
n Organise a pan-European policy dialogue on the inland water transport issues
n Promote a coordinated development of inland waterway infrastructure
n Address safety and operational requirements in inland navigation
n Promote integration of IWT in multimodal transport chains
n Prevention of pollution from vessels and resilience to climate changes
n Contribute to the harmonisation of the legal framework for international IWT
7.1.3 Automation on inland waterways and smart shipping have been introduced in the agenda of SC.3 and SC.3/WP.3
since February 2018, following the request of its member States that work actively in this sphere. In 2023, both
Working Parties continued discussion on the definitions for automation and smart shipping based on the definition
of automation levels in inland navigation edition 2022 adopted by the Central Commission for the Navigation of
the Rhine (CCNR) and the terms proposed for smart shipping and the relevant terminology from the “Maritime
Autonomous Surface Ships UK Industry Conduct Principles and Code of Practice”. SC.3 at its sixty-seventh
session in October 2023 considered it desirable to prepare a resolution on this issue to ensure consistency of
the terminology at the pan-European level.
7.1.4 At its eighty-third session in February 2021, ITC adopted the updated Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Road
Map for the period 2021–2025. The updated Road Map included automation in inland navigation, in particular,
preparations for the deployment of automated inland navigation in the national capacity building support provided
by the ECE secretariat to assist member States and the dissemination of information and awareness raising on
automation in inland navigation and related issue.
7.1.5 In 2023, both Working Parties continued discussion on harmonizing the ECE legal framework and policy areas
for fostering innovations in inland navigation, in particular, policy areas and proposals for evaluation of international
conventions and ECE resolutions to identify gaps, challenges and bottlenecks that hamper the development of
automated navigation. This includes, first of all, the European Code for Inland Waterways. The core rules are
applicable to the traffic on all inland waterways in the UNECE region.
66 MASS UK Industry Conduct Principles and Code of Practice Version 7