I.
Job descriptions in inland waterway transport in Europe
In
its opinion on "Towards a Pan-European System of Inmand Waterway
Transport" (doc.TEN/135), the European Community's Economic and Social
Committee draws attentions to the need for greater harmonisation of the
definitions of functions on board boats, thereby allowing a better correlation
of the pool of qualified personnel available in Europe with the needs
of the inland waterway transport sector.
On
the basis of this recommendation, the EBU has proposed that the river
commissions make a start by drawing up a working document on job descriptions
for the key functions on board inland waterway transport boats, ie boatmaster
and boatman.
The
Central Commission has welcomed the proposal. The appropriate Committee
(the Committee on Social Matters, Employment and Vocational Training)
has undertaken to prepare this working document.
An
initial inventory of job descriptions used within its member States has
pointed to a global concordance that needs to be supplemented by the specific
features of the job descriptions used in the States on the Danube and
the other European States with an active inland waterway transport sector.
In this way, these descriptions could be used as a common reference for
courses at educational and training establishments.
In
addition, the professional organisations in the Netherlands have carried
out comparative work on the job descriptions used in the CCNR's member
States with a view to drawing up an initial common outline.
The
seminar will aim to present all this work and provide the occasion for
an informal discussion among all the experts and other interested parties
so that it will be possible to determine together how it should be followed
up. Follow-up could take the form of a round-table discussion on the subject
in 2006.
II. Sector knowledge for inland waterway transport on major rivers
The
regulations concerning the boatman's licence are the focal point of the
initiatives aimed at greater harmonisation in the inland waterways transport
sector. The Central Commission and the Danube Commission have identified
this area as having priority in their efforts in the matter.
A
joint ad hoc working party has undertaken to draw up common rules on a
key element in the regulations, namely the sector knowledge required for
navigation on the Rhine and on the Danube, with a view to making this
part of the regulations more transparent and comparable for the two rivers,
thereby facilitating access for crew members on both rivers to the respective
certificates and licences.
At
the same time, the application of these demands and the methods for examining
the required knowledge should be brought up to date in order to rationalise
and simplify the procedures.
At
the seminar, there will be a presentation of the approach adopted by the
two river commissions in their cooperation on this matter for the information
of both professionals and government experts, and an initial discussion
on the principles and implementation to be provided for subsequently. |