The lower Vistula in the aspect of the E40 and E70 international shipping routes

Abstract

Throughout the history of Europe and the world, shipping routes have determined the develop¬ment of many civilisations, since it was along them that settlements and commerce developed, goods and people were transported, and later, industry was located. Currently, shipping routes are an important element in inland transport corridors. The European Union puts particular emphasis on the development of inland and rail transport to balance road transport, which is drastically expanding. Development of inland waterway transport routes in Poland has allies in intensely developing sea ports. The allies of the lower Vistula (dolna Wisła) are the ports in Gdańsk and Gdynia, for which construction of inland ports up-country is an opportunity to increase the trans-shipment capacity. Poland uses the potential of international inland waterways poorly when compared to other European Union countries, which results for instance from the bad technical condition of river engineering structures and from years of neglect in water management. The situation is further amplified by the lack of consistent laws regarding inland navigation and water management, as the responsibility for those issues is shared by several ministries, the institutions they are in charge of and local governments. Governments of the voivodeships situated along the planned international waterways E40 between Warsaw and Gdańsk (Mazowieckie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Pomorskie voivodeships) and E70 (Lubuskie, Wielkopolskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie, Pomorskie voivodeships) can see both the transport and the tourism potential of Polish waterways. They have been working for many years to restore the rightful role of rivers and to bring about economic development using the advantages they offer.