By 2006, the Hungarian-Slovak intergovernmental negotiations, aimed at implementing the 1997
ruling of the International Court of Justice on the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros Project, appeared to
reach a stalemate. As a last resort, on 5 October 2006 the parties agreed to prepare a Mutual
Environmental Study. Over the course of 2007 and 2008, the parties consulted on further details of
the Study and established a bilateral Steering Committee to oversee the preparation of the study.
At the end of 2008, the Hungarian government allocated the necessary financial resources, and
research in the Hungarian sector was commenced in early 2009. Although the analysis focused
predominantly on examining the hydrological and ecological aspects of rehabilitation in the
Szigetköz, the scope of the study extended to the entire waterway route section of the River
Danube financed by investment from the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros (Bős-Nagymaros ) project. As part
of the study, a cost-benefit analysis was carried out that compared the implications and consequences of other river regulating measures to those of the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros Barrage System Plan.
This paper will condense down and summarize the findings of a number of previous studies, focusing on the implications for inland water transportation planning. As opposed to the narrower scope of previous studies, the aim of this paper is to present a broader, more coherent report; one that places more emphasize on inland water transport, ultimately aiding more informed decision making in relation to the integrated use of the River Danube.
http://www.rekk.eu/images/stories/letoltheto/summary_rekk_danube_navigation_cba.pdf
