Executive Agency “Exploration and Maintenance of the Danube river” hosts this years Danube Information Services Conference (DISC), related to the exchange of expertise in the field of geographic and river information systems.
The event was opened by the Head of the Managing Authority of the Operational Programme “Transport and Transport Infrastructure 2014-2020” and Director of the Coordination of Programmes and Projects Directorate at MTITC - Dipl. Eng. Galina Vasileva. She pointed out that the Ministry and EAEMDR are working together on a project to buy new multifunctional equipment, including dredging equipment. It is due to be approved by the end of the year and the tender procedures are launched. The project is financed under the Operational programme “Transport and Transport Infrastructure” and is worth more than EUR 10 million.
The Regional Governor of Ruse District Grigor Grigorov and Deputy Mayor of Ruse Municipality Natalia Krasteva proudly welcomed the guests of the town.
The Executive Director of EAEMDR Pavlin Tsonev greeted the participants and added that the good results in the work of the river administrations are also due to the companies that produce specialized equipment for the benefit of navigation. High technologies and 
related innovations are an integral part of our lives, with them, we are developing and we are able to meet the increased requirements for maintaining the fairway.
Every year, a Danube country hosts the DISC Forum, as this year the topic is "GIS for RIS" (Geographic Information Systems for River Information Systems). The conference was held on December 5th – 6th 2017.
At the event, the river administrations of Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania presented their national reports on the activities carried out in 2017 and on the implemented projects.
The conference continued with established companies, which presented the most up-to-date hardware and software in the field of navigation and river information systems. Sealite, the worlds leading manufacturer of marine aids to navigation, was among the presenters today.
Among the attendees of the event were Mr. Martin Dagan - UNECE, representatives of the National Transport Policy Directorate at the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure of the Federal Republic of Germany, Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic, state and private sector of the Danube countries.
