10/11/2015 (Agence Europe) - Parliament adopts technical pillar of 4th rail package. MEPs gave their approval on Tuesday 10 November to the provisional agreement reached in trialogue (Council-Parliament-Commission) in June of this year on the technical pillar of the 4th rail package (see EUROPE 11338). The technical pillar is about modernising the way the European Rail Agency (ERA) works, the interoperability of the rail system across the EU and rail safety. The political pillar on opening national markets to competition was adopted in October, with transport ministers bringing in many national derogations. That adoption paved the way for interinstitutional negotiations between the Council and the European Parliament to begin (see EUROPE 11406). (PH)