Danube-Oder-Elbe Canal

Environmental organisations from Central and Eastern Europe wrote to the European Union calling for the halting of the Danube Oder Elbe Canal project.

About the Project

The Danube Oder Elbe canal is an artificial waterway project that seeks to connect the Rivers Danube, Oder and Elbe and provide a navigable link between the Black Sea and the Baltic and North Seas. It is expected to cost at least 23 billion Euro and would involve several hundred kilometres of artificial waterways, 70 locks, tunnels, etc.

Issues

The environmental organisations flagged the following concerns:

• It would violate the EU environmental laws.
• It would destroy the river landscape of the region.
• Construction of numerous locks would speed up flood waves.
• The construction of canals and deepening of riverbeds would reduce the flood protection and increase risk of flooding.
• Loss of biodiversity.
• Many sections of the river are not navigable at all times.

Trans-European Transport Network

The environmental organisation called for exclusion of the project from the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The TEN-T is a planned transportation network in the EU composed of roadways, railways, waterways and airways. It is a part of the wider Trans-European Network which also includes networks for telecommunication and energy.