According to the demands of European Ministers of Transport River Information Services according to European recommendations shall be installed along main waterways by the end of 2005. These implementations are based on the provision of digital navigation charts and highly accurate positioning systems. In addition the exchange of waterway related geographic data between national waterway authorities along the Danube is based on various different formats. In order to provide equal and compatible systems a close cooperation between all countries is needed and a close relationship to relevant platforms like the Danube Commission has to be guaranteed. Therefore the "GIS Forum Danube" is regarded as the perfect platform for such a project. Meanwhile 7 states are members of the GIS Forum and close relationship to the remaining states has been set up. So far just German and Austrian partners are funded within CADSES, but applications for other countries are planned. Achievements: The project guaranteed not only the quick and high-quality implementation of European and worldwide standards, but also the international compatibility of these activities. The development of navigation maps and the installation of IALA beacons significantly improved the quality of the Danube waterway for transport and navigation. In addition, these two outputs served as a basis for the installation of the River Information Services, which are considered a major inducement for inland navigation (see White Paper on Transport Policies). The inland ECDIS maps, in particular, enable the safety of inland navigation to be improved, as the position of the vessel can be displayed on the map. Together with the highly accurate GPS/IALA signal, the captain can always see where the vessel is located on the waterway, even when sight is limited due to foggy conditions, night, blinding sunlight, etc. The data warehouse facilitates cooperation between the involved countries extensively. The most important advantage of such a network is the uncomplicated and efficient management of waterways and their infrastructure along the borderline sections of the Danube. In addition, various applications are possible after the installation of the transnational network (e.g., transnational calamity abatement, integration of tourist data for a transnational tourism information system and standardised mapping of areas with environmental and ecological value).