Brussels, 11/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - For its first "Transport" Council on Monday 11 March, the Irish Presidency decided to examine the interoperability plank of the fourth railway package, which was recently presented by the European Commission. In tackling the technical details, Dublin had hoped to avoid having to deal with the more controversial dossiers (liberalisation, governments), but nothing came of this: the Member States have misgivings over the idea of transferring to the European Railway Agency (ERA) the competences of their national bodies for the authorisation and certification of rolling stock.
Administrative burdens. In general, the European transport ministers subscribe to the idea of making the harmonisation of railway matters easier and simplifying the authorisation and certification procedures. However, they expressed reservations over the administrative costs and burdens to be brought about by centralisation, which is not always relevant. Poland, for example, fears "disproportionate requirements", Bulgaria an extension of lead times, Slovakia also stressed that "this procedure must not become more complicated than it is today". France feels that the proposal is "not fully adapted". Italy and the Czech Republic stress that safety should not suffer as a result of any new division of competences between the national authorities and ERA.
Flexibility. The European delegations would rather the national authorities retain control over the authorisation and certification procedures for vehicles destined solely for the domestic market. On behalf of the Irish Presidency, Transport Minister Leo Varadkar sums up his colleagues' position: "if the operations are carried out in just one Member State, then the national authorities should be kept in place. In addition, well-adapted procedures for local and regional networks are required". The continued discussions on the subject should therefore show "flexibility and common sense", he added. The British delegation takes the view that this flexibility should also translate into an option "for the national railway actors to decide whether or not they wish to delegate powers to ERA".
A step too soon. This centralisation of competences to the European agency would therefore appear premature to the "Transport" Council, notably because other European legislation, such as the third railway package, is not yet fully applied, the Belgian and Spanish delegations stress.
The European Transport Commissioner, Siim Kallas, lamented this view of things: "some are saying that the proposal is premature or not yet ready. I feel that it is too late, or could be too late if we do not act. The idea of single authorisation has not come from nowhere, this is the subject of an urgent request on the part of both operators and equipment manufacturers. Having a single authorisation system will bring about a considerable reduction of costs. If, in the early 1980s, the customs authorities had had to decide on the creation of the European single market, we would not have one!", he said. Minister Varadkar declined to confirm whether an agreement could be reached at this stage on this plank of the fourth railway package under the Irish Presidency. (MD/transl.fl)