Negotiators of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union did not make any significant progress on the proposed revision of the Regulation (1371/2007) on rail passengers’ rights and obligations on Tuesday 18 February during the second round of inter-institutional negotiations (‘trilogues’) on this dossier.
Discussions thus came to a standstill on the two most sensitive points discussed during this trilogue: the through ticket and the deadlines for notifying railway companies of the assistance needs of persons with reduced mobility.
With regard to the through ticket (having only one ticket for several connecting journeys), while both sides agree that this type of ticket should be favoured, Parliament is the only one to want the text to contain measures to this end that are binding on the railway companies.
On the second point, the EU Council advocates a minimum of 48 hours’ notice. For its part, Parliament advocates a minimum 12-hour period and proposes that no pre-notification be required in large stations (where daily traffic exceeds 10,000 passengers).
In the absence of significant progress, both sides agreed to exempt Cyprus and Malta from the Regulation – the latter countries having no rail network – while agreeing on a number of technical points.
However, the thorniest points of this dossier (see EUROPE 12398/8) have not yet been addressed. The next trilogue, scheduled for 18 March, is therefore unlikely to lead to an agreement yet, predicts a source close to the dossier. According to her, a fourth trilogue will certainly be held in mid-April. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)