The Partnership for Improvement of Danube Infrastructure and Navigation (PIDIN) is a continuation and deepening of the activities undertaken within the SECI Working Group on “Danube Transport”. Taking into consideration the recommendations of the Project Group and based on policy consultations with regional stakeholders and technical experts, an analysis of the regional situation on the use of the Danube as an inland waterway, especially for the transport of cargo as well as for the electricity generation through hydropower, showed that the situation is far behind the potential of the Danube.

PIDIN was established in view of stimulating and facilitating regional cooperation aimed at the improvement of the situation concerning the waterway infrastructure of and inland waterway transport conditions within the Danube River Basin, in the context of the overall European inland waterways system. It was observed that the use of the Danube as an inland waterway is far lower than the use of the second biggest European inland waterway, the Rhine River Basin (depending on the stretch between 7% and 15% of the potential capacity of the Danube). This does not mean that environmental aspect within the Danube River Basin should be disregarded or neglected, in order to increase transport potential of the Danube River Basin, but that they should be an integrative part of any future regional planning of the development of the Danube as an inland waterway and of the improvement of its economic, transport and energy potential for the Danube region.

Having this in mind, a series of Danube River meetings was organised since 2006 in the framework of this initiative, to promote the need for a more active regional approach towards the improvement of the economic, transport and the energy potential of the Danube River Basin and thus foster exchange of information on infrastructure projects, cooperation among the Danube River Basin countries as well as mutual understanding among the various perspectives concerning the use of the Danube as an international waterway. Earlier known as the Danube technical meetings this initiative was realised in cooperation with Transport Infrastructure Needs Assessment – TINA Vienna Office and the former Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, Working Table II (Economic Reconstruction, Cooperation and Development). Since December 2008, PIDIN is functioning entirely under the auspices of SECI.

The PIDIN forum complements on a more practical level the political process launched with the Danube Cooperation Process (DCP) in 2002, which establishes the regional Danube River Basin priorities agenda. PIDIN through its meetings and the related practical activities tries to follow the implementation of DCP regional priorities agenda and inform the relevant stakeholders and the wider public on developments and priorities in this respect.

More information on the conclusions of the respective PIDIN meetings and relevant documents you shall find in the PIDIN Meetings box on your right side.