Brussels, 19/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 18 December, the European Commission accepted the commitments offered by the German railway incumbent Deutsche Bahn (DB) regarding its pricing system for traction current in Germany and made them legally binding. It was concerned that a return to this current would only benefit railway companies in the DB group and would hamper competition on the German markets for rail freight and long-distance passenger transport (see EUROPE 10633). DB responded to these concerns through commitments which will become effective on 1 July 2014: - DB Energie will grant electricity providers access to its network for supplying traction current; - it will introduce a new pricing system which will set the price of electricity separately from the fee charged for access to the network. DG Energie will not apply any discounts to its electricity supply and, for the year starting in July 2014, it will grant a 4% reduction on the price of traction current to all railway companies not belonging to DB, based on their invoice for the preceding year. This will ensure that railway companies immediately benefit from lower prices until the effects of increased competition set in. These lower prices for traction current will contribute to ending the margin squeeze and restoring the ability of railway companies to compete with DB on the rail freight and long distance passenger markets. The Commission believes that these commitments will make the traction current market competitive and end “market squeezes” on the rail transport market in Germany. It has made them legally binding. (FG/transl.fl)