International Inland Waterways in Poland: Current State and Their Importance in EU Transport Policy

In recent years, the share of cargo transport in Poland’s water has been marginal. Through comprehensively reviewing 61 relevant studies in the field, supplemented by the investigation of several important databases, this paper estimates the historical and current state of inland navigation in Poland, and at the same time, identifies the main threats to the future development of inland navigation. A detailed evaluation in regard to the degree of technical infrastructure use is presented for the Lower Vistula section in the years 1986–2020. In that period, there was a decrease in the number of cargo vessels passing through the only lock on the Lower Vistula, at Włocławek. This was due to a number of factors, including natural conditions resulting from climate change, which led to more frequent occurrences of low water levels. In recent years (2016–2020), there has been an increase in the number of tourist vessels passing through the lock in Włocławek and locks on Vistula branches. This boost is marked mainly in the summer (from June to August) at locks near city centers. Revitalizing inland navigation in Poland is possible through joint planning, implementation and financing of strategic infrastructure investments at the national, regional and local levels.