The Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR) will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2015. Set up at the Vienna Congress in 1815, the CCNR is the oldest among the contemporary international organizations. Since the beginning, the CCNR has had the objective to watch over the freedom of navigation on the Rhine and the non-discrimination between its nautical flags. Its intervention was also crucial for the space planning of the river and the improvement of its navigability. It contributed to turn the Rhine into a major transport axis and to spurt off the economy of the bordering states. Its governance, which was very early characterized by supra-nationality, turned it into an institution largely ahead of its time. Furthermore, it plays an important role in European diplomacy, where it has been used from time to time as an instrument by a dominant power, but also as a means of cooperation for political decision-makers and economic actors of the borderlands. However, the history of the CCNR is, for large parts, not well known at all. The celebration of its 200th anniversary in 2015, with its different events, will thus present the occasion to trace back the history of the CCNR and to explore its rich, complex past, which is deeply rooted in the heart of the history of the European continent, at the crossroads between institutional topics, economic questions and geopolitical stakes. In order to make this possible, the CCNR and the University of Strasbourg will organize in June 2015, in cooperation with the universities of Rotterdam and Düsseldorf, an international conference on the history of the CCNR. The paper proposals should be presented on one of the following four major research topics.

The first topic goes back to the organization of the CCNR itself. The aim is to analyze, especially from a legal point of view, the institutions of the CCNR and their functioning, to explore the partially supra-national governance of the Commission, to confront it, at least as far as the 19th century is concerned, with the “era of nationalism” where its activities took place. Another aspect of the institution’s history leads us to focus on important personalities who have directed it. What type of political culture, education and professional background did they have? Have they marked the organization during their lead time? Were they in turn influenced by the organization and convinced by its purpose? Following the same line of thought, paper proposals could also deal with the national delegations represented at the CCNR, either by examining certain moments of history or when studied in a long-term perspective. The decision-making system within the CCNR also deserves to be explored and analyzed. The idea is mainly to better understand the degree of independence of the institution with regard to the member states. Finally, the CCNR has undoubtedly played a model function for the administration of other river docks in Europe, but also on other continents. Which influence the Commission has it exercised over these organizations created afterwards? One has to question here the transfers operating in terms of governance and administration from one institution to another. At the same time, the differences between these organizations should also be highlighted.

A second set of questions focusses on the missions of the CCNR and their economic impact. A first approach would consist in illustrating the action of the CCNR in favor of the freedom of navigation on the Rhine, its role to guarantee the liberty and the security of navigation on the river and to ensure the equal treatment of ships of all nautical flags. The action of the CCNR was also crucial for the organization of the river space planning, for the canalization projects on the Rhine tributaries, for construction works, for the regularization of the water levels – these are all questions that should be tackled. It should also be considered to study its role as police of navigation, as preceptor of regulations and, by this means, of normalization of standardization. Besides, contributions could also deal with the legal functions of the CCNR as it has been charged, at certain times, with the arbitration of conflicts concerning fluvial traffic or space planning schemes and the Rhine maintenance. The economic dimension was just as much at the heart of the CCNR’s missions. Its role in setting-up exchange between industrials, merchants and ship-owners should be examined, as well as in stimulating certain forms of cross-border cooperation. These economic topics invite us to further investigate on the organization of the Rhine traffic and the forms of exchange that the CCNR has initiated. One of the debates after the War was for example to choose between two radically different options: either to adapt the number of transport firms to the volume of goods or to leave the largest possible liberties to the different economic actors. In the same line of thought it would be worth analyzing and interpreting the policies carried out by the CCNR in reaction to the competition that the development of rail and later road transport created for the fluvial navigation. Finally, attention should be drawn to the role of the CCNR in thematic fields linked with the preservation of the environment and the emergence of ecological questions regarding the growing Rhine pollution.

These different forms of competition and cooperation clearly place the CCNR into the center of geopolitical and diplomatic stakes. The CCNR has been first of all confronted with the interest of its member states. Its degree of independence with regard to its “tutors” reveals the importance of international power relations. At least during two periods, from 1871 to 1918 and after the First World War, Germany and France developed real power politics, the CCNR being one of their instruments. Contrarily, at other times, the CCNR became the symbol of reinforced cooperation between the bordering states. Especially after 1945, the CCNR was no longer the only organization to be in charge of transport issues. It therefore developed relations with a whole set of international organizations and European institutions – ECSC, EEC/EC, ECITO, ECMT, OEEC. The opposition between the CCNR and the EEC/EU is a good example in this respect. Finally, the role of the CCNR needs to be clarified concerning the organization of the European continent: which role did it play for the emergence of the European idea during the era of nationalism and for the formation of a European identity in the 20th century? During the process of European Integration, did it have a vision at regional level – the Rhine axis- and did it articulate a particular project based primarily on economic principles? In the wake of globalization, which strategy does the CCNR develop with regard to the articulation of different territorial levels (nation, European regionalism and globalization)?

A last research topic is dedicated to questions of networks and transfers. The CCNR in itself constitutes a network that deserves to be examined. Within the organization, members occupy different functions – diplomats, administrators, engineers and experts-, they have a different educational and cultural background. Within their career, the passage to the CCNR has not necessarily had the same importance. In other words, the study of existing networks within the Central Commission would allow for a better understanding of its functioning. The members of the CCNR are in fact integrated into numerous networks. They are in relation with professional associations, for example of the ship-owners or navigation firms, with national or international private organizations such as the Union of the Rhine Chambers of Commerce, with the governments of the member states and, finally, with the already mentioned other European and international organizations. The aim here is to analyze the interactions and connections between these actors, whether they are linked to lobbying activity on the CCNR, different forms of cooperation/competition which structure the relations between these actors or, finally, to the dissimulation of norms, standards and knowledge by the CCNR. On this last point, the dissimulation canals should be examined – journals, specialized reviews, centers – which are used by the CCNR to reach its target « public », as well as the impact of its decisions on normalization and the unification of the navigation on the Rhine.

Conditions for submission of proposals for papers

Proposals for papers should be sent before November 15, 2014 in English, French or German at: martial.libera@unistra.fr; C.Hurbourque@ccr-zkr.org; s.schirmann@unistra.fr

Proposals should include a title and an abstract not exceeding 400 signs, the coordinates of the private and professional speaker, and a short CV including making out the publications involved in connection with the conference theme.

The Scientific Committee of the conference will respond to the authors of proposals no later than December 15.

Authors of accepted proposals will deliver to the Scientific Committee of the conference, at least one month prior to the conference, or May 20, 2015, a summary containing the main theses and major axes of their papers (2-3 pages). Papers may be given in French, German or English.

The organizing committee of the conference will cover the costs of transport, accommodation and food stakeholders.

Organizing Committee of the conference:
Clementine HURBOURQUE, CCNR-ZKR
Martial LIBERA, Université de Strasbourg
Sylvain SCHIRMANN, Université de Strasbourg

Scientific Committee:
Jean François ECK, Pr. Université Lille III – Charles de Gaulle
Etienne DESCHAMPS, Université catholique de Louvain
Hein KLEMANN, Pr., Université Erasmus Rotterdam
Marial LIBERA, Dr., Université de Strasbourg
Sylvain SCHIRMANN, Pr, Université de Strasbourg
Guido THIEMEYER, Pr., Université Heinrich Heine, Düsseldorf
Jean-Marie WOEHRLING, ancien secrétaire général de la CCNR