Brussels, 28/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - More than three years after the European Commission's communication, the technical pillar of the 4th railway package was adopted by the European Parliament in its plenary session in Brussels on Thursday 28 April. The vote was by relative consensus.
“From now on there will be a single framework for train authorisation and safety certification, replacing the patchwork of 26 national systems”, said Michael Cramer (Greens/EFA, Germany), who chairs the European Parliament's transport committee and is rapporteur on the railway safety directive. The current agreement, although not perfect, will enable another step to be taken in favour of the environment, with rail transport being more environmentally friendly than road transport, Cramer said. “The technical pillar will enable the current rules to be reduced from 11,000 to 300”, said Izaskun Bilbao Barandica (ALDE, Spain), the rapporteur for the interoperability directive. “Before the end of my mandate, the European Railway Agency will be able to deliver the first EU-wide certificates to rail companies. This is quite an achievement!” European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc stated, who also attended the vote. Bulc hopes a second wind can be given to the railway sector, which is currently suffering from competition from road and air transport.
Dominique Riquet (ALDE, France) hailed the rapporteurs' work but regretted the lack of “European steering” in the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). Other MEPs, such as Massimiliano Salini (EPP, Italy), said that the technical pillar would just remain wishful thinking unless if was followed by liberalisation under the market pillar or political pillar of the fourth railway package - which was adopted the same day by the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper I - see other article).
In contrast to the relative optimism in the Parliament plenary, some voices spoke out in opposition, such as Marie-Christine Arnautu (ENF, France), who criticised the federalist moves of the project. The EFDD Group lodged a late amendment with a view to rejecting the Council's position and terminating the procedure - a proposal that was not retained by the MEPs. “A majority of the group is made up of UKIP members, and it could only be against the project with Brexit coming up”, a European source stated.
In order to facilitate the negotiations, the fourth railway package was split into two pillars - one technical and the other political, dedicated to governance and the opening of national markets (see other article). The technical pillar is aimed at harmonising certification standards for safety, through the European Railway Agency (ERA), and also at improving interoperability between the national markets. In the view of its supporters, it will enable administrative costs to be reduced in the long term and will facilitate access to the national markets for railway operators (see EUROPE 11338).
The member states will have three years from the point of entry into force to transpose the directives, with the possibility of extending this timescale by another year if they can justify their reasons to the Commission. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)