Brussels, 31/08/2010 (Agence Europe) - The Commission may adopt the draft review of the first rail package on 15 September at the earliest, in line with hopes expressed by the DG Mobility and Transport services and Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas (EUROPE 10096). Inclusion of the issue on the college's agenda is to be confirmed at the end of the week. The decision on adopting this revised version of the package - albeit foreseen for the end of 2009 with a view to completing reform of the rail sector and clarifying the rules on strengthening competition in the sector - remained blocked for many months under the mandate of the previous European Commission, which preferred to give priority to liberalising the sector by initiating infringement proceedings for the non-transposition of three directives from the package (directive on opening access to the rail freight network, that on conditions for attributing licenses, and that on sharing out rail capacities). Upon his arrival at the head of DG Mobility, Siim Kallas of Estonia brought the situation out of deadlock. As announced by the commissioner in June (EUROPE 9990), adoption of the revised version of the first package was imminent and due to come about in September at the earliest. The initial date was 20 July, but opposition from Germany, whose representatives evoked inaccuracies in the impact assessment study linked to the text, delayed inclusion of this point on the agenda. This gave rise to fears in the rail sector in favour of opening, fears that this additional delay would allow the players less in favour of liberalisation (Germany but also Italy and a number of “traditional” operators) to water down the content of the review. Despite these fears, the content of the proposal has not been changed. The only changes made are of an administrative kind and are restricted to the impact assessment of the proposal. In addition to consolidating the three directives of the first rail package, the revised version will strengthen opening up of the sector to competition, by clarifying provisions on: - access to the market by new entrants, transparency and cross-border cooperation, planning, investment and pricing of rail infrastructure as well as the independence and powers of control bodies. (A.By./transl.jl)