Waterborne transport- direct employment: around 200,000, roughly 80% of which in maritime transport and 20% in inland waterway transport- share in total freight transport: 42% (intra-EU maritime 39%, inland waterways 3%; both more or less stable)-share in total passenger transport: below 1% in intra-EU passenger transport, slightly decreasing- growth between 1995 and 2004: + 29% in freight transport (+ 31% in intra-EU maritime transport, + 9% on inland waterways)- average yearly growth of worldwide con-tainer traffic between 2001 and 2004: 13.5%- share (of inland navigation) in total energy consumption: 0.5%- vehicle efficiency (of inla ...[+++]nd navigation) in toe/Mtkm: 17.5 | Airborne transport- direct employment: around 400,000- share in total freight transport: 0.1% in terms of tkm in intra-EU traffic -share in total passenger transport: 8% (only intra-EU flights included; increasing strongly)- growth between 1995 and 2004: + 55% in intra-EU passenger transport- market share of low-cost carriers in scheduled intra-EU traffic (in terms of available seats): 25% in 2005- growth in number of intra-EU routes: +100% between 1992 and 2004- share in total energy consumption: 4.0% |

(b) where appropriate, achieving higher standards for modernising and for new waterways in accordance with the technical and operational characteristics of the AGN on the new classification of inland waterways in order to meet market demands;

18. Notes that until recently only 1% of the European infrastructure funds were used for inland waterways according to the latest research; considers that sufficient European support is needed to develop the inland waterway infrastructure in Europe, in order to use the full potential of the inland waterways as a sustainable and reliable mode of transport;

(3) Statistics on inland waterways transport have been collected under Council Directive 80/1119/EEC of 17 November 1980 on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods by inland waterways which no longer correspond to the present needs in this domain.

(1) Inland waterways are an important part of the Community's transport networks and the promotion of inland waterways transport is one of the objectives of the Common Transport Policy, both for reasons of economic efficiency and in order to reduce energy consumption and the environmental impact of transport, as described in the Commission White Paper: European transport policy for 2010: time to decide.

50. Considers inland waterways to be a useful transport policy tool, as they are an innovative, comparatively environmentally friendly and relatively cheap mode of transport, and believes that they should be modernised, upgraded and extended through adequate investment in a manner compatible with the requirements of EC environmental legislation, including increased EU co-financing for key inland waterway projects within the framework of the TENs; therefore calls for harmonisation and interoperability of rules, a single, Community-wide identification number for inland waterway vessels; considers the creation of high-performance, geographically comprehensive information systems on inland waterways to be extremely important in this connectio ...[+++]n and calls on the Commission to submit a proposal as soon as possible for harmonised technical provisions towards the implementation of River Information Services (RIS);