SAWA
Project goals
The Sava River is classified as an international waterway in the section from Račinovci to Sisak (river kilometer 210.8 - 594), but in practice navigation on the section is not possible for most of the year. Navigation is made difficult by numerous bottlenecks and critical sections caused by low water levels, sediments and insufficient riverbed management. This is the reason for Sava River not meeting the standards of class IV navigability according to the European guidelines prescribed by the European Agreement on Main Inland Waterways of International Importance (AGN).
For the reasons stated previously, a project for the development and improvement of the aforementioned section was started in 2025 with the following objectives:
- to improve navigation on the Sava River in order to meet the minimum requirements prescribed by the European Agreement on Main Inland Waterways of International Importance (AGN),
- to enable the Sava River waterway to achieve its full development potential, contributing to the overall development of the inland navigation sector in the Republic of Croatia and the European Union,
- to ensure the continuity of the TEN-T network between the EU Member State and the EU candidate country.
The purpose of the project is to prepare study and project documentation (environmental impact study, preliminary and main design) and obtain the necessary permits, which will represent the first step in preparing the rehabilitation and improvement works on the section in question.
Financing
The project was submitted to a call under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) in January 2025, and the project was approved for funding by the European Executive Agency for Climate, Infrastructure and Environment (CINEA) in July 2025. The grant agreement was signed in June 2025. The funds were provided by a combination of the state budget of the Republic of Croatia (15%) and the Connecting Europe Facility (85%).
A budget of 7.18 million euros has been planned for the preparation of study and project documentation.
Project scope
The project focuses on the section of the Sava River from river kilometer 210.8 (Račinovci) to river kilometer 594 (Sisak) and represents the first step in solving the navigation issues appearing during the large part of the year.
Beneficiary
Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure
Key facts
Project duration: 15 October 2025 - 14 October 2028
Project budget: 7.18 million euros excluding VAT
European Union co-financing rate (CEF): 6.10 million euros excluding VAT
Contact
Danijel Đuđar (Operational manager)
Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure
Directorate for Inland Navigation
Regional Office for Inland Waterways
Parobrodarska 3, 32000 Vukovar, Croatia
Tel: +385 (32) 445 047
Email: Danijel.Dudar[at]mmpi.hr
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the
author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them.
