One of the most important legislative frameworks for Inland Navigation is Directive (EU) 2017/2397 on the recognition of professional qualifications in inland navigation. EBU and ESO, founders of the EU-IWT-Platform, have been intensively involved in the process of elaborating this Directive.

The Directive, which must be implemented in the Member States by 17 January 2022, harmonises the requirements for nautical qualifications on board of inland waterway vessels operating on European waterways. It provides the legal basis for defining, among other things, in detail the competences  to be mastered by crew members at operational and management level as well as for examination.  Most of these standards have already been adopted and are to be found together in ES QIN 2018 and 2019.

In order to teach these competences, the necessary preconditions are essential in schools and training institutes, especially with regard to curricula and teaching materials.

This is where the COMPETING project comes in, an Erasmus plus project which EBU and ESO.

COMPETING works on the introduction of competence based and future proof education and training for crew members in EU Member States. Sustainable solutions, automation, digitalization and communication are part of the educational programs. In one of the important work packages of COMPETING teaching materials and curricula will be developed. This can contribute to a good overall quality level of education and training in the inland navigation sector throughout the EU.