The navigability of Elbe River will allow for an eco-friendly waterborne transport and improve conditions for international trade and tourism in the Czech Republic. The German Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure Andreas Scheuer and his Czech counterpart Karel Havlíček signed an agreement on navigation of Elbe River.

“Elbe is an important European river for which the Czech Republic and Germany hold responsibility. In short, we will put Elbe in order, navigation will be possible 340 days a year and the aim is to have navigation on Elbe from Pardubice to Hamburg by 2030”, said the Minister of Transport Karel Havlíček after a common virtual meeting.

The current parameters of the waterway will be ensured on a stretch following the one between Ústí nad Labem and Týnec nad Labem with a water depth of 230 cm. At the same time, measures will be adopted to enable water depth of 230 cm between Týnec nad Labem and Pardubice up to Pardubice port.

The current aim on the German stretch of Elbe is to maintain water depth of 140 cm, which complies with a German strategy called Gesamtkonzept Elbe.

“Apart from waterway parameters in the Czech Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany, the agreement expects the establishment of a Joint Commission, which will monitor the waterway parameters and propose measures for improvement”, added Mr Havlíček.

The agreement was concluded after years of negotiations. Elbe River is part of the network of the most important road and railway corridors, international airports and waterways, so-called TEN-T network. The ministers also discussed the preparation of a high-speed rail between Prague and Dresden or a train connection to Munich. Both projects are already in advanced stages and are included in Bundesverkehrswegeplan.