In line with the project’s work plan a kick-off meeting was held in Vienna on 28 March 2017 where DANTE partners started to work on the two key project activities: Identification of existing administrative barriers – the current problems, challenges and needs (Work package 3) and Analysis of procedures, laws, processes and regulations (Work package 4).

Work package 3 sets the technical background to enable inland waterways transport (IWT) users to submit their observations, describe specific barriers they have encountered  when sailing on the Danube and it navigable tributaries as well as name positive experiences.  For this, 14 funded partners work on the development of a web-based transnational multi-language IWT barrier reporting tool in order to collect all inputs, resulting in one central database. This database constitutes the basis for further analysis and recommendations for improvement of administrative procedures and processes. Access will be granted upon registration to all interested stakeholders (via a valid e-mail address). The tool shall be released for public usage starting from September 2017 and will be kept available and running during and after the end of the DANTE project.

Work also commenced in work package 4 which aims to provide an overview of the existing procedural and administrative framework conditions for inland waterway transport on a national basis in the Danube riparian countries. Analysis will be based on inputs from project partners and the feedback received from stakeholders during the two rounds of national working table meetings that shall be organized in 6 of the Danube countries - Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia. Results will be consolidated in national country reports and one overall report. These will then be capitalized further in a dedicated work package and presented to the relevant authorities so that concrete measures and solutions to reduce administrative burdens can be introduced in practice.