Inland waterways navigation - transport of the future of the European Union?

Unutarnja plovidba jedan je od najisplativijih načina prijevoza i unatoč tome što je podcijenjena i nedovoljno iskorištena vrlo često se označuje kao transport budućnosti. Cilj Europske unije je osigurati bolju kakvoću života, smanjiti zagušenost prometa, prijeći na energetski manje zahtjevne vidove prijevoza koji su čišći i sigurniji, a jasno je da upravo ova grana prometa predstavlja izbor koji treba dobiti značajniju ulogu u postizanju tih ciljeva. U skladu s tim u radu je nastojano što bolje prikazati kakvo je zapravo stanje ove grane prometa, karakteristike unutarnje plovidbe i njen značaj, pravni okvir i zakonodavstvo, rad Europske unije u unapređenju ove grane prometa i njenom razvoju, te strategiju razvitka prometa na unutarnjim plovnim putovima u Republici Hrvatskoj.Inland navigation is one of the most profitable ways of transportation and, in spite of being underestimated and underused, it is often labeled as transportation of future. The main goal of The European Union is to ensure a better quality of life, to decrease traffic congestion, to move on to energetically less demanding aspects of transportation that are cleaner and safer and it's clear that inland navigation represents a choice that needs to gain a significant role in the accomplishment of previously mentioned goals. According to that, this paper strives to show the actual state of this branch of traffic, characteristics of inland navigation and it's significance, legal frame and legislation, endeavours of the European Union in advancement and development of this branch of traffic and development strategy of traffic at the inland waterways in the Republic of Croatia