European River Cruise Association uses the ISO framework to support the European Smart Mobility Strategy.
In 2000 the Leading European River Cruise Association started to engage with the International Standards Organization (ISO) (via its local representation office in Switzerland (SNV)) to draft the industry's first safety and sustainability management standard. The project included numerous rounds of negotiations with representatives from several cruise operators, cargo operators, certification institutions, and ISO's technical committees. After the local voting process in Switzerland was completed and the international voting process at ISO has been facilitated, work was started on a first draft document that will ensure all operators can manage their safety and sustainability strategy.
The document is based on the ISO Management System Standard practice of following a ten-step approach. This includes the management involvement in setting the vision, the practical research on risks within the business, and establishing long-term and short-term goals. The complete documentation is sequenced to include the economic, environmental and social impact an operator has on all stakeholders involved in shipping. The management practice will benefit large operators with significant shoreside operations and small shipowners, who will benefit from the knowledge sharing that comes with the implementation.
In Quater 1 /2022, ISO has voted to start working on the second draft of the document with the technical committees ensuring both content and legal practice are conform. It is anticipated that operators can be certified on this new norm in 2024, with the pre-work before the certification to be started in 2022. «This is a milestone in the history of River Cruising that a worldwide standard exists. Our members have ships in Europe but also in Asia, Africa, India and the US. This standard will allow us for the first time to facilitate one standard on all inland waterways.» says Daniel Buchmüller, President of the European River Cruise Association.
Operators that want to carry the prestigious ISO certification within there operation can do so by enquiring for ISO 28701 (currently PWI 28701). «The certification has sparked great interrest within the Insurance, client and ESG market» says Buchmüller as it will mark another breakthrough in compliance management. To learn more about this certification, please contact the European River Cruise Association with your questions.
About the International Standards Organisation (ISO): ISO is an independent, non-governmental international organisation with a membership of 167 national standards bodies. Through its members, it brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market-relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges.
About the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy: The European Green Deal includes a target to reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2050. The Commission intends to adopt a comprehensive strategy to meet this target and ensure that the EU transport sector is fit for a clean, digital and modern economy. Objectives include: increasing the uptake of zero-emission vehicles, making sustainable alternative solutions available to the public & businesses, supporting digitalisation & automation, and improving connectivity & access.
About the Association of the leading European River Cruise Companies: To represent the diverse interests of river cruise shipping companies, and initially loosely organised Community of Interests IG RiverCruise, was founded in 2000 by three Swiss shipping companies. In the meantime, IG RiverCruise has become a registered association with headquarters in Basel and now represents over 358 ships (90 % of the European market). As well as representing the members' common, fundamental interests and concerns relevant to river cruises towards third parties, IG RiverCruise sees itself at the same time as a contact and representative of the European river cruise sector.
Other tasks include the promotion and development of the image of the river cruise sector, taking into particular account the topics of training, safety and environmental protection and keeping in contact with organisations, institutions, umbrella associations and associations closely related to the sector.
