Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine, or CCNR (French: Commission Centrale pour la Navigation du Rhin) is the world's oldest international organization. Its function is to encourage European prosperity by guarenteeing a high level of security for navigation of the Rhine and environs.
[edit] History
Today the Commission is physically based in Strasbourg, in Le Palais du Rhin. Legally, its authority comes from agreements made at the Congress of Vienna, held in 1815 in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars. The member states then included Germany, Belgium, France, the Low Countries, and Switzerland.
The first meeting took place on August 15, 1816 in Mainz. In 1831 the Convention of Mainz was adopted, establishing a number of the first laws governing Rhine navigation. In 1861 the commission's seat was moved to Mannheim, and on October 17, 1868, the Convention of Mannheim was agreed to. This agreement still governs the principles of Rhine navigation today.
Shortly after the end of the First World War, in 1920, the commission's headquarters was moved to Strasbourg as a part of the Treaty of Versailles. In 2003 the European Commission asked for the permission of the Council of Ministers to negotiate the adhesion of the EU to the regulations of the CCNR and the Commission of the Danube, especially given the prospective enlargement of the EU.
