The European Commission published new guidelines explaining how best to ensure that activities related to inland navigation are compatible with EU environmental policy in general and nature legislation in particular. The guidelines are aimed at showing how to apply EU environmental legislation on inland navigation and nature protection.

The guidelines "Inland waterway transport and Natura 2000 – sustainable inland waterway development and management in the context of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives" which explain how best to ensure that activities related to inland navigation are compatible with EU environmental policy in general and nature legislation in particular, were published by the European Commission. This document is the fourth guidance document on application of EU nature legislation in the context of strategic EU sectors. In November 2010, EU released guidelines to reconcile wind energy development and biodiversity policy.

According to the Commission, the guidelines explain the policy context of inland navigation and biodiversity conservation in Europe. They stress that Natura 2000 sites are not designed to be ‘no development zones’ and that new developments are not excluded, provided that they guarantee a sufficient level of nature protection. The document also explains the legal obligations of infrastructure developers and managers from the point of EU environmental legislation, with a particular focus on the Birds and Habitats Directives. It particularly emphasize the benefits of integrated planning, whereby environmental requirements are taken into consideration at every stage of infrastructure development process and the participation of different stakeholders, including NGOs and civil society, is ensured in an active and transparent manner, securing win-win solutions for both sectors.

Janez Potočnik, Commissioner for Environment, highlighted in the presentation of the document that he hopes the document will be a useful tool to increase understanding between investors, planners, decision-makers and nature conservation promoters, enabling them to design sustainable navigation projects that meet the objectives of inland waterway transport while still respecting the ecological values of rivers. The document also emphasizes the significance of the inland navigation for securing long-term sustainability of EU transport network and highlights the achievements of this sector in integrating nature protection into its activities to date.