Brussels, 18/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - The vote on the 4th railway package at the EP transport committee (TRAN) on Tuesday 17 December was, on the whole, given a rather positive reception by both the Commission and rail industry. The former believes that there is one drawback, however, relating to the direct allocation of public service contracts, whilst the latter has concerns about the governance of rail infrastructure.
Commission relatively enthusiastic. European Commissioner for Transport Siim Kallas, who put this legislative package on the table, said that this vote gave fresh impetus for further progress to be made at the Council under the Greek Presidency because only a partial general approach on the technical pillar had so far been defined. The Commission is satisfied that TRAN has been able to preserve the general idea of getting rid of technical and administrative obstacles on the certification of rolling stock in the technical pillar. It notes, however, that a perhaps overcautious approach has been adopted on the politically sensitive issue of the rail market. The European Commission had wanted the direct allocation of public service contracts to be much more limited and will clearly try to obtain a more “balanced” approach during inter-institutional negotiations. It says, however, that it is satisfied that the public call for tenders remains a dominant principle and that opening up the domestic passenger transport market is still envisaged by 2019. On the subject of governance, the Commission says that it also appreciates that TRAN has not shifted on the issue of financial transparency within an integrated undertaking that incorporates the service operator and infrastructure manager and that it is still guaranteeing the independence of the latter (despite the fact that amendments had been introduced to reduce the scope to exclusively functional operations).
Traditional operators not entirely pleased. It is on the issue of governance that the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies is having problems. Its executive director said: “I consider that the proposal of the European Commission on the issue of governance has not been sufficiently amended” and that certain aspects of the vote are even “dangerous”. He also regretted that “the right of choice is a precondition for a necessary search for greater economic efficiency and better use of public money to Europe's railway networks. These considerations were sadly most absent from the recent discussions”.
New market entrants delighted. On the other hand, new companies entering the market support the separate model and congratulated MEPs for having sufficiently taken into consideration the interests of alternative operators. According to the chairman of the European Railway Freight Association, François Coart, MEPs “seriously took into consideration the interests of alternative operators, allowing them to coexist in a fair and transparent environment with the incumbent operators”.
Both Coart and the chairman of the Association of the European Rail Industry (UNIFE) are now expect the legislative process moving forward more swiftly, particularly on the technical pillar in the 4th railway package, with an agreement still possible during this current parliament. (MD/transl.fl)