Column from Edinna

 Implementing European directive 2017/2397, on the recognition of professional qualifications in inland navigation, in the national legislation of the member states requires legal embedding in national legislation and regulations.Besides existing international regulations, for example, such as those that apply to the Rhine, also must be adjusted.

One of the objectives of the directive is that irrespective of the Member State in which the qualification is achieved, the inland navigation sector can count on crews possessing the competencies prescribed in the annexes of the directive. Edinna, the association representing the interests of education and training institutes for inland navigation, realised from the beginning that putting this objective into practice means that training programs must be compiled at a comparable content and level.
In anticipation of the introduction of the directive, Edinna member institutes, with the support of European funding have carried out a number of projects that have provided already a number of supporting products for IWT education and training institutes.

Today, however, no common teaching material is available for the seven mandatory areas of competence at operational and management level that cover all of these areas. The COMPETING project has the objective and task of developing precisely that and making it available to all institutions. Not just the content but also the way in which the content can be offered to students in a modern didactic way. In addition and to guarantee quality, a quality assurance system will be developed.
For the results of this project, communication between all project participants such as, institutions, authorities and social partners is of great importance. The COMPETING project will make an important contribution to the harmonisation of inland navigation education and training.

President Edinna
Rob van Reem