Brussels, 07/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission is examining cross subsidies by the German rail company Deutsche Bahn. In November, the European commissioner responsible for transport, Siim Kallas, sent a letter to the German transport minister, Peter Ramsauer, in order to receive information relating to financial exchanges between Deutsche Bahn and its subsidiaries. The German authorities must answer the Commission on this issue by the end of the month. This first investigation is not considered as infringement procedure. Nonetheless, Deutsche Bahn and its holding company are increasingly in the Commission's sights. The Commission is preparing to present the fourth rail package at the end of the month which should clarify once and for all the relations between infrastructure managers and service providers, in order to opening up the domestic passenger traffic market. (MD/transl.jl)