On Wednesday 7 May, the European Commission adopted interpretative guidelines on setting charges for the use of railway infrastructure, known as ‘track access charges’.
These guidelines set out the Commission’s interpretation of the main provisions of Directive [2012/34/EU] to help national authorities and rail infrastructure managers apply the existing regulatory framework in a consistent manner. They focus on certain main causes of uncertain application or divergent practices, such as the definition of mark-ups and the market segments to which they apply.
The guidelines reiterate that mark-ups must not constitute a barrier to market entry and must respect the objectives of optimising the use of rail infrastructure and preserving the competitiveness of rail transport.
The setting of track access charges is of particular importance in the context of the recent opening up of national rail markets to competition under the fourth railway package (see EUROPE 12492/6), as their level has a direct impact on the profitability of rail transport services.
To read the guidelines, go to https://aeur.eu/f/gqq (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)