New Waterways and Shipping Authority for the Baltic Sea Launched

Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer, together with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans-Heinrich Witte, President of the GDWS, inaugurated the new Waterways and Shipping Authority Baltic Sea in Rostock. The new Baltic Sea Authority emerges from the Waterways and Shipping Authorities of Lübeck and Stralsund.

(Rostock) – As part of the WSV and authority reform, the twelfth newly structured Waterways and Shipping Authority is being launched. Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer: “The competence and responsibility for shipping in the Baltic Sea now lies in one hand. Or rather, in the hands of the 550 experts of the new Waterways and Shipping Authority Baltic Sea. They are now responsible for over 2,000 km of coastline, around 160 km of inland waterways, over 300 fixed shipping marks, including 27 lighthouses, two traffic control centers, and for 15 vessels. What a huge task, which they will surely master excellently with their expertise.”

German-Danish Cooperation Regarding the Construction of the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel

The new Baltic Sea Authority emerges from the Waterways and Shipping Authorities of Lübeck and Stralsund. The tasks of the authority include the implementation of the sea port accesses in Rostock and Wismar as well as the German-Danish cooperation in maritime traffic safety during the construction of the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel. Furthermore, the employees collect environmental data, create hydrographic information, and ensure a safe and reliable infrastructure. The authority is also significantly involved in the realization of international sporting events – Kiel Week, Warnemünde Week, Travemünde Week, and HanseSail.

Focus on Traffic Monitoring

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans-Heinrich Witte, President of the General Directorate for Waterways and Shipping: “In addition to the diverse tasks of the new Baltic Sea Authority, a special focus is on traffic monitoring in a heavily frequented and large sea area. The professional competence of the new authority concentrates on the safety and ease of maritime shipping, the accesses to the Baltic Sea ports, and environmental protection. Shipping in the Baltic Sea will benefit from this.”The head of the new WSA Baltic Sea is Stefan Grammann. He has already been leading the WSA Stralsund since the beginning of the year and was previously responsible for nautical information as a department head at the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency. Stefan Grammann: “Also with regard to the 30th anniversary of reunification, we now view the Baltic Sea areas of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern uniformly. Shipping already perceives the Baltic Sea as a single area. With our close and proven cooperation with the Baltic Sea riparian states, we promote shared responsibility for the entire Baltic Sea area.”

Largest Administrative Reform in the Last 40 Years

The reform of the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV Reform) is one of the largest administrative reforms of the past four decades. Nationwide, 39 Waterways and Shipping Authorities are being merged into 17 new authorities. The reorganization of the waterways-related tasks of the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) and the merger of the former seven directorates into a General Directorate for Waterways and Shipping in Bonn have already been implemented. The tasks and competencies in the inland and coastal areas have been consolidated in a central authority. The goal is to sustainably increase the performance of the WSV. In the past two legislative periods, investments in the maintenance and expansion of the waterways infrastructure have been significantly increased. In addition, the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration has been equipped with additional personnel for important investment measures.www.gdws.wsv.bund.dePhoto: © General Directorate for Waterways and Shipping