Brussels, 11/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Commission is concerned about cross-subsidisation in the Belgian railway sector. The European Commission sent Belgium a reasoned opinion on Thursday 10 July asking for the use of public funding to be more transparent, under Directive 2012/34/EU on the single railway area. The European executive has given the country two months to provide explanations, so as to remove any suspicion that public funding earmarked to cover public service obligations in passenger transport is being used to subsidise other railway transport services. If the country fails to do so, Brussels may have to explain itself before the European Court of Justice.
Other countries have also received reasoned opinions for failing to apply the railway legislation correctly. These are Portugal, which has not fully transposed directive 2008/57/EC on railway interoperability, as it should have done by July 2010. The country also has two months to respond. As for Luxembourg and Lithuania, the objections concern Directive 2004/49/EC on railway safety, which does not appear to have been implemented as it should have been since the European rules entered into force in April 2006. Here, the independence of the supervisory authority is what is in question.
The European Commission has also sent out other reasoned opinions regarding infringements in the field of land transport. Ireland, Portugal, Slovenia and the United Kingdom are deemed not to have adopted the appropriate measures regarding the eurovignette directive (2001/76) on the taxation of heavy goods vehicles to take account of external costs (such as pollution and noise). If the European legislation is not implemented in a uniform way, this can bring about legal uncertainty for road transport operators, the Commission argues. It expects explanations or adjustments within two months.
Lastly, the European Commission is also calling on Poland and Italy to account over their application of bus and coach passenger rights (Regulation 181/2011). There is no penalty system in these countries to ensure that the legislation is properly applied, with the result that the national responsible authorities remain powerless.
All of these countries face proceedings before the European Court of Justice if the European Commission does not find their responses satisfactory. (MD)