Baltic-Black Sea rivers: an opportunity or a financial challenge?

River transport between the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea has been a topic discussed for years. After the failure of cooperation with Belarus and the withdrawal of the Czech Republic from the Oder-Danube canal, the Romanian expert proposes a new variant: via the Vistula, San, Dniester and Prut. The problem is, among others: money, because we are talking about hundreds of billions of zlotys.

In the European Agreement on Major Inland Waterways of International Importance (the so-called AGN Convention) mentions three routes running through Poland. Two of them are intended to enable navigation between the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea. The E30 waterway, i.e. the Oder Waterway, is part of the Baltic Sea – Danube connection, which also runs through the Czech Republic. The E40 route runs from Gdańsk to Warsaw, where it is to connect with the Bug River (three variants are being considered) and then through Belarus and Ukraine to reach the Black Sea.

The basic problem in the development of inland navigation is international politics. In July 2022, Ukraine terminated the agreement with Belarus under which the E40 waterway was to be built.. The agreement was concluded in 1998 and although it did not specify specifics regarding the construction of the trail, it created conditions for its planning and implementation. In turn, the Czech side withdrew from the Oder-Danube canal.

“In 2023, the Czech side informed the Polish side about the abandonment of the construction of the Oder-Danube canal. Currently, the Polish and Czech sides are focusing on planning the development of the cross-border area of ​​transport connections based on the possibility of using the Oder, in particular in servicing the Ostrava agglomeration,” representatives of the Ministry of Infrastructure told PAP.

President of the Iasi Chamber of Commerce and Industryn.g. Paul Costel Butnariu says it is still possible to build shipping between the Baltic and the Black Sea – bypassing both Belarus and the Czech Republic. It is about the route through the Vistula, San, Dniester, Prut and Danube. He pointed out in an interview with PAP that it is necessary to return to the plans that were discussed already in the interwar period.

– We have a historic perspective of creating a new European corridor. Tby approx. 2 thousand km, through the Vistula, San, Dniester, Prut and Danube, through Poland, Ukraine and along the Romanian-Moldavian border – said Paul Butnariu. – Most of the route is navigable. Only two larger investments are needed: digging the San-Dniester canal on the Polish-Ukrainian border near Przemyśl and the Dniester-Prut near Chernivtsi in Ukraine. This is a total of 72 km. In the context of such a long route, it's not much – he added.

The original version of the route, through Belarus and Ukraine, was assessed by many experts as unrealistic. It was pointed out, among others: to costs of at least several dozen billion euros, as well as losses to the natural environment. Butnariu claims that the project he is talking about has a chance of obtaining financing. He refers to the intentions of the European Commission, which wants to increase inland transport by 25%. by 2030 and by 50 percent by 2050.

Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Arkadiusz Carrot cools down emotions. According to him, this type of concept encounters similar problems as the previous ones – it requires close cooperation at the international level.

– One country will not be able to implement such investments without cooperation with the others. And analyzes that indicate the value of such investments show that these expenses amount to up to PLN 100 billion. So these are gigantic costs, but they must be based on economic calculations, Marchewka pointed out. – We are very focused on ensuring that the main transport routes pass through Poland, but in the context of inland navigation, we focus on the implementation of investments related to the Oder Waterway. And here we have an increasingly better functioning transport route from north to south through Poland – he added.

As the deputy minister said, river transport must be connected to the road and rail network.

– It's not like we'll suddenly be able to dig a hole through several countries and send barges through there. That's just not an option. But we need to look for solutions that will allow for the best use of all modes of transport, so that it is simply profitable and that goods can be transported at the lowest possible cost. Because if the cost of handling these goods is low, there will be interest in using these routes – explained the deputy minister.

According to Marchewka, the development of ports and inland navigation is a chance for Poland to become a logistics hub for this part of Europe. He assessed investments in routes connecting the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea as a huge challenge, which is, however, considered in long-term plans.

Michał Torz (PAP)

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