Brussels, 11/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 10 October, the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies, CER, welcomed the general approach reached on Thursday 10 October by the Transport Council on the European Commission proposal for a recast of the rail Safety Directive, but regrets that the member states have postponed application of the directive to 2020, which the CER says is much too late.
The review of the rail safety directive should make it easier to carry out safety certificate assessments for rolling stock (via the European Rail Agency for international usage) and the CER says: “This general approach is a step ahead towards the elimination of the burdensome administrative procedures which are currently weighing on the sector's shoulders and undermining the rail business.” The problem is the five-year transition period decided by the member states, as against two years recommended by the European Commission, which Commissioner for Transport Siim Kallas argued for at the Transport Council meeting. CER director general Libor Lochman regretted: “if the final agreement on the whole package is likely to be taken only in 2015, then we will have to wait until 2020 to have these new procedures in place.”
He remains optimistic in view of the important progress made and hopes the Lithuanian Presidency will be able to get agreement on the whole of the fourth railway package's technical pillar by the end of the year. (MD/transl.fl)