Terms of Use

This page describes the terms of use of the Message Service provided by Rijkswaterstaat for electronic reporting in inland shipping.

Waterway users who fall under Article 12.01, paragraph 1, of the Rhine Police Regulations (the target group vessels) are required to report to the competent authorities prior to their departure. This report can be made either by VHF radio or electronically. Under international legislation, certain waterway users are required to perform this electronically.

Using a suitable reporting application and a Message Service account provided by Rijkswaterstaat, waterway users can send electronic reports (ERI messages) to the competent authorities responsible for the relevant waterways and/or ports.

Applications for Message Service accounts are submitted via the BICS reporting ID application form on the BICS website (www.bics.nl), which is managed by Rijkswaterstaat.

You can report technical problems or errors to the BICS helpdesk for support.

1. Applicability and acceptance

  1. These terms of use apply to the use of the Message Service account and the associated Message Service offered by Rijkswaterstaat for electronic reporting in inland shipping.
  2. By ticking the box indicating your agreement while completing the BICS reporting ID application form, you declare that you have read, understood, and agree to these terms.
  3. For questions or comments regarding these terms of use, you can contact the BICS helpdesk.

2. Definitions

  • Message Service: the service managed by Rijkswaterstaat with electronic mailboxes (BICS reporting IDs) for exchanging electronic reports within inland shipping.
  • Message Service account (account): an account issued by Rijkswaterstaat that is linked to an electronic mailbox (reporting ID).
  • User: any person who has access to the Message Service with a unique username and password.
  • Reporting application: a suitable application for electronic reporting that complies with the applicable ERI standards.
  • ERI standards and messages: internationally established standards and message types within Electronic Reporting International for electronic reporting in inland shipping.
  • Competent authorities: authorities responsible for waterways and/or ports that process electronic reports.

3. Access and use

  1. A Message Service account is assigned to a specific waterway user and is not transferable.
  2. From the moment of activation, you are responsible for the use of your Message Service account. You must handle your login credentials with care and must not share them with others. You are responsible for the correct and appropriate use of the Message Service account. Your Message Service account may only be used for submitting your own operational reports and solely for the purpose for which the Message Service has been established.
  3. In your reports, you must provide accurate, complete, and up-to-date information in accordance with applicable laws and regulations and any additional instructions from the competent authorities.
  4. As the account holder, you are required to report any changes to personal, vessel, and/or address details without delay via the BICS helpdesk.
  5. Rijkswaterstaat may take technical measures (such as maintenance or security updates) that may temporarily affect the availability of the Message Service. Rijkswaterstaat will make every effort to announce planned maintenance in advance in order to limit inconvenience as much as possible.
  6. You may terminate the Message Service account at any time via the BICS helpdesk. After confirmation, the Message Service account will be deactivated. Data will be deleted or retained only to the extent and for as long as legally required.
  7. Rijkswaterstaat reserves the right to close and, if necessary, delete accounts after prolonged inactivity (> 2 years).

4. Protection of personal data (GDPR)

  1. Rijkswaterstaat processes reports and personal data in accordance with these terms, applicable laws and regulations, and the privacy statement on www.bics.nl.
  2. Rijkswaterstaat processes personal data solely for:
    1. enabling electronic reporting and handling such reports;
    2. complying with legal obligations regarding electronic reporting in inland shipping;
    3. management, security, auditing, and improvement of the Message Service.
  3. Rijkswaterstaat will use the provided personal data solely for compliance with the electronic reporting obligation, in accordance with the relevant European regulations.
  4. Personal data will be retained only as long as necessary for the purpose of processing and for as long as required by law.
  5. Additional provisions regarding the protection of personal data can be found in the privacy statement on the BICS website (www.bics.nl). Together with the disclaimer on this website, these form an integral part of these terms.

5. Confidentiality

  1. Rijkswaterstaat treats data exchanged via the Message Service confidentially in accordance with the "Privacy Regulation for Traffic Registration Systems of Rijkswaterstaat".
  2. Disclosure will only take place when legally required.
  3. In accordance with Directive 2005/44/EC on River Information Services (RIS), where applicable, data will be shared with neighboring waterway authorities in the context of vessel traffic management.

6. Security

  1. Data exchange with the Message Service takes place via encrypted connections.
  2. All user activities are automatically recorded in log files in order to comply with security requirements and legal regulations.
  3. You are required to immediately report security incidents, such as suspected data breaches or unauthorized access, to the BICS helpdesk.
  4. Rijkswaterstaat reserves the right to suspend or terminate access to your Message Service account if necessary due to security risks, investigations into misuse, or violations of the terms of use.

7. Responsibility for content and intellectual property

  1. Rijkswaterstaat exercises great care regarding the accuracy, completeness, and clarity of the information and functions within the Message Service. Nevertheless, information may sometimes be incomplete, outdated, or unclear. We request that you report this to the BICS helpdesk. Rijkswaterstaat appreciates your feedback and uses it to improve the quality of its services.
  2. All rights to the Message Service, including the software, documentation, and (technical) designs, are held by Rijkswaterstaat or its licensors.
  3. The use of the Message Service grants you only a limited, non-transferable right of use for the duration and purpose of the service. No intellectual property rights are transferred to you.

8. Amendments to these terms of use

  1. Rijkswaterstaat reserves the right to amend and update these terms of use when necessary.
  2. Substantial changes will be announced via www.bics.nl with indication of the effective date.

9. Applicable law and competent court

  1. These terms of use are governed by Dutch law.
  2. Disputes regarding these terms of use shall be settled by the competent civil court in The Hague.