Central Commisssion for Navigation of the Rhine

Abstract

Established by the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the Central Commission of the Rhine assumed its present character as a result of modifications provided in the Treaty of Versailles (1919). Its operations terminated vis-à-vis Germany in 1936 and suspended completely in 1939; the commission was reorganized on a provisional basis in 1945 as a result of the Potsdam Conference and the proposal made there that nations take immediate steps to establish interim machinery for the internationalization of each of the principal waterways of Europe. Six member governments – Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, United States and United Kingdom – agreed to the provisional organization, Germany's interests being represented by the delegations of the three western occupying powers. Four meetings of the commission were held during 1949 at which decisions involving technical aspects of improvement of navigation conditions and maintenance of full navigability were reached. The budget for 1949 was estimated at 16,320,000 French francs.