New guidelines on inland waterways and nature protection

The European Union (EU) addressed some of the most significant strategic issues in the new guidelines on inland waterways and nature protection in the region. The overall EU target articulated in its 2011 roadmap to reduce transport related greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent recognized that this could be achieved if all modes of transport contributed. A chapter of the Guidelines focused on offering a number of case studies, with examples of good practice with particular emphasis on the benefits of integrated planning. Agreement was also reached on marine protection, whereby the 193 parties agreed to classify a diverse list of marine areas as 'ecologically or biologically significant'. These areas would be transmitted to the United Nations General Assembly so they could be considered by relevant UN processes linked to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).