The project aims to facilitate and promote the reform in the waterborne transport in line with the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, to implement European legislation in Ukraine step by step. 
The meeting was held within the framework of the experts’ working visit to the south of Ukraine. Edwin Lock, a team leader, an expert on ports and inland waterways, Hans van der Werf, a legal expert on IWW, Rene Kist, a logistics and multimodal expert, Harrie de Leijer, an institutional and capacity building expert, and Kateryna Basova, a local project coordinator were among the key project experts who visited NIBULON.
Andrii Volik, NIBULON’s deputy general director of fleet construction, fleet operation and navigation safety familiarized the guests with the shipbuilding program and main production facilities of NIBULON shipbuilding and repair yard. The guests highly appreciated them as all the equipment in the production workshops is modern and was purchased from the world’s leading manufacturers. The experts were very impressed by the first 140-m self-propelled vessel in the shipyard’s history, NIBULON MAX, which is being actively built on the shipyard’s building berth. The experts also admitted the company’s plans for the reconstruction and modernization of NIBULON shipbuilding and repair yard, as it will bring the shipyard to a new level.
At the transshipment terminal, the experts got acquainted with the principles and specifics of its work. They were told about a full cycle of services for vehicles entering the territory of the enterprise, the principles of work of the modern laboratory. NIBULON’s specialists also told them about the work of the company’s cargo and passenger fleet. The guests saw non-self-propelled vessels and tugs of four different projects at the terminal’s berth.
After the excursion, the guests met with Oleksiy Vadaturskyy. There was a productive dialogue between NIBULON’s General Director and European experts of Dnipro Transport Development.
The main topic of the discussion was the issue of legislative initiatives on the development of inland water transport, in particular draft law in this area. Oleksiy Vadaturskyy, having considerable experience in this matter and directly encountering numerous problems of river transport on inland waterways of Ukraine, noted that there were a number of key points for the country on this issue and emphasized some of them,
“Dear experts, today, as always, I will be frank with you. I am sure you know that NIBULON is a leader of Ukrainian shipbuilding and it successfully develops river navigation without state support, overcoming various obstacles. We oppose any manifestations of corruption which unfortunately has not been overcome in the relevant ministries as well.  Because we know that shipbuilding and prospective river transport in Ukraine will not develop until the authorities stop to lobby for the interests of corrupt structures. I will note that the draft law “On Inland Water Transport” No. 2475 a-d is also a threat to the development of inland waterways. Its initiators, including the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, are trying to introduce the initiatives that would cause harm to the river industry”.
It doesn’t mean that we don’t need a draft law. But it is extremely important that the new Ukrainian legislation creates conditions for increasing the competitiveness of water transport in relation to other modes of transport, in particular rail and road transport. In order to create such conditions, it is necessary to exempt ship’s fuel from excise tax or compensate part of the fuel cost in the amount of the excise tax to shipowners, which in turn complies with the international practice and will make bunkering behind the 12-mile zone inappropriate.
It is necessary to exempt shipowners from rental payment for water use, to abolish payment for raise of movable bridges and locking.
We advocate for restricting the entry of vessels under foreign flags into the internal territorial waters of Ukraine. Instead, we should allow the entry of vessels, whose countries allow the entry into their inland waterways. That’s equality. That’s justice.  Unfortunately, the draft law No. 2475a-d doesn’t contain such items.
NIBULON’s General Director, as the head of the company and a citizen, is extremely concerned about an  environmental aspect of the draft law No. 2475 a-d. It has an item that makes one outraged. Its developers deliberately ignore the need to protect the ecology of reservoirs and offer one to allow the free disposal of ship’s waste water in the territorial sea, in other inland waterways of general use without restrictions.
For example, into the Dnipro River, from which 50 million Ukrainians drink water. In the Southern Buh River, in which people will be afraid to swim because of obvious reasons. “I ask you to pay attention to the information and to take appropriate measures. I live in Ukraine and I have been fighting for the future of our state”, said Oleksiy Vadaturskyy.
The European experts supported NIBULON’s General Director, having said,
“One of our goals is the implementation of European legislation in Ukraine; and it’s the easiest task. The next issue is more difficult – to understand and to indicate what is needed in order to develop Ukraine’s river transport. And your point of view is very valuable to us and all the questions that you raised are definitely worth attention. We have seen your fleet, and we know that it is super-modern. We also know about the situation on the river. It is very important that the law on IWT guarantees equal opportunities for river transport, comparing with other modes of transport”, said the team leader Edwin Lock.  
At the end of the meeting, the experts thanked the management and the company’s specialists for the invitation and very informative excursion. They showed their respect and pride for NIBULON’s achievements. The guests also invited Oleksiy Vadaturskyy to take part in a discussion platform to be held on October 18, 2019. According to the experts, this event will discuss drawbacks of the draft law on IWT and will form new provisions, which can be put for consideration of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine and the Committee on Transport of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
NIBULON’s General Director noted the company’s openness to negotiations and invited the guests to get acquainted with NIBULON, in particular to attend the International Forum TRANS EXPO ODESA-MYKOLAIV 2019, within which a large exhibition “Shipbuilding and Water Transport-2019” will be held Mykolaiv on September 20-21.