Strasbourg, 07/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - In light of the latest developments, transport ministers are likely to adopt a general approach on the political pillar of the 4th rail package at the Transport Council in Luxembourg on Thursday 8 October.
Under the agreement, national markets will be opened to competition (see EUROPE 11400). Once the general approach has been adopted, trialogue discussions will begin between the Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament so that the package can be adopted in its entirety as quickly as possible. Agreement has already been reached on the technical pillar (see EUROPE 11347).
The legislative proposal, long debated in both Council and Parliament, seeks to integrate the European rail market which, at present, is particularly fragmented and very much the preserve of the member states. It contains four strands: - single EU-wide certification through the European Railway Agency (ERA) for trains and rolling stock and single safety certification; - clear separation of operations and infrastructure; - opening up of national rail services to foreign competition - by far the most contentious issue (see EUROPE 11333); - protection and maintenance of qualified labour in the sector which, over the next ten years, will lose some 30% of its workforce, according to Commission estimates, as a result of retirement.
Motor car emissions checks have been included in the other business section, following the Volkswagen scandal. The Commission will update ministers on the latest developments on test procedures to measure cars' carbon emissions under real driving conditions (real driving emissions - RDE). Internal Market and Industry Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska will provide a progress report on future procedures. The Presidency hopes that the debate will be public. Ministers will put the matter to the vote by qualified majority. A European source has indicated that this is unlikely to cause any problems.
A further point of immediate importance, in the wake of the foiled terrorist Thalys attack (see EUROPE 11388), is that of railway security, which will be debated over lunch. On 11 September, the Commission brought together the member states' experts in the LANDSEC group to discuss and share practices in use and measures that might be envisaged to improve passengers' security (see EUROPE 11387).
The mid-term review of the 2011 White Paper on transport is also on the agenda. Ministers will hold a policy debate on the priorities and objectives of EU transport policy, in the context of the Paris climate conference (COP 21). They will discuss the major changes in the sector since 2011with a view to possible amendments of European transport policy and will decide on the initiatives to be taken for the next ten years. Lastly, they will debate how realistic the long-term objectives are.
Commission Vice-President with responsibility for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro Jyrki Katainen and European Investment Bank Vice-President Pim van Ballekom will discuss the European fund for strategic investments (EFSI), which forms part of the Commission's investment plan, with ministers.
In the other business section, the Presidency will report back on the informal Transport Council of 7 October on promoting cycling as an alternative form of transport and will present the “Luxembourg declaration” that was adopted at the informal Council. Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc will set out her thoughts for the ministers on the decarbonisation of the European economy and promotion of multimodal transport. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)