Joint Statement 2.0 Officially Handed Over at the 16th Joint Statement Meeting in Budapest
The 16th Meeting on the Follow-up of the Joint Statement on Guiding Principles for the Development of Inland Navigation and Environmental Protection in the Danube River Basin took place on 22 October 2025 in Budapest, hosted by the Danube Commission. The Joint Statement 2.0 process reflects the changes and challenges that have emerged since the initial Joint Statement was adopted in 2007, ensuring that the principles guiding inland navigation and environmental protection remain relevant and effective.
The hybrid event marked an important moment for sustainable navigation in the Danube Basin, as participants celebrated the launch and handover of the updated Joint Statement 2.0 to Ms. Margarida Marques, European Coordinator for the Rhine-Danube Core Network Corridor.
The updated Joint Statement, officially adopted by the Danube Commission in June 2025 with similar procedures carried out by the ICPDR and ISRBC, strengthens cooperation between navigation and environmental authorities across the region. Building on the foundations of the original 2007 document, Joint Statement 2.0 reaffirms the commitment of the three river commissions to align inland waterway development with environmental protection and cross-sectoral dialogue.
More than 50 experts and stakeholders attended the meeting, including representatives of the European Commission (DG ENV and DG REGIO), the Technical Secretariat of EUSDR PA1a, and national authorities from Danube countries. Ms. Marques commended the three commissions for their joint efforts, noting that “the Danube is a corridor of stability in a geopolitically fragile region, and an essential channel for solidarity and reconstruction.”
Participants also discussed next steps, including the finalization of a draft Joint Statement 2.0 Manual and the development of an online Knowledge Management System (KMS), both designed to support implementation and knowledge sharing. The meeting concluded with updates from Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Serbia on cross-border and national navigation projects.
The next Joint Statement Meeting will take place on 16–17 September 2026, hosted by the ISRBC in Zagreb.
