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MISSIONS
AND COMPETENCES
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Attend
to the respect of the principles embodied by the
Convention of Mannheim : freedom
of navigation, equal treatment of ships of all nations, exemption from
any taxes and duties based solely on navigation, absence of physical or
administrative obstacles to navigation, commitment to maintain the navigability
of the waterway. |
| Ensure the safety of navigation |
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The member States set themselves, and consequently also the Central Commission, the fundamental task of ensuring the safety of navigation and its environment. This concern is the outset of all the regulations adopted by the Central Commission and has commanded many of its decisions. |
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The
Rhine Regulations being permanently adapted to the evolution of needs
and technology, they have ensured navigation as well as its environment,
crews and passengers, a high level of security and have been taken over
by other international bodies. Their adoption as basic provisions on a
European level is envisaged. |
The
Central Commission overlooks projects dealing with developments on the
river and the construction of structures. |
Strive
for the unity of the Rhine system and on a wider scale for the unification
of fluvial law. Thus certain Conventions of private or public law have
been adopted under its patronage. This was for instance the case with
the Convention on collection, deposit and reception of waste produced
by inland and Rhine shipping, which holds preventive as well as repressive
measures intended to prevent pollution, reduce the production of waste
and ensure its "ecological" elimination. |
Promote
the economical prosperity of the Rhine navigation through proposals made
by the governments of the member States. Today, the Rhine is the most
important inland waterway in Europe. The Rhine navigation carries about
300 million tons of goods yearly, which is three times more than the volume
transported on the Danube. The action of the Central Commission remains
tinged with liberalism. The Commission is striving to find consensual
solutions between the various professional groups concerned, to adjust
to a new economical order or to face up to emerging economical problems.
In order to remedy the effects of overcapacity, it has nevertheless been
lead to practise a policy of intervention by introducing a system of structural
re-establishment of the Rhine fleet in conjunction with the European Union. |
Deliberate
over proposals made by the member States, particularly those proposals
which aim at completing or amending the Convention. In fact, the Commission
is acknowledged a genuine constituent power. |
Examine
any complaint linked to the implementation of the Convention and the
enforcement of regulations or measures decided and jointly agreed upon
by the riparian governments. This right of complaint is open to any individual,
organisation or government. |
On
a social level, the Central Commission administers the Agreement concerning
social security of boatmen on the Rhine, which has established an Administrative
Centre, the European Agreement upon social security of boatsmen in inland
and Rhine navigation (Eastern, Central and western Europe) and the Agreement
concerning the working conditions in Rhine navigation, which has established
a tripartite Commission dealing with working conditions. |
Finally,
the Central Commission fulfils an international role which reaches beyond
the Rhine basin. The Commission is in constant contact with other international
organisations and takes part in their work : European Union, (particularly
the General Direction of Transports), the Economic Commission for Europe
of the United Nations in Geneva, the European Conference of Ministers
of Transport, the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, etc. |