At a meeting of the Council of the EU in Luxembourg on Monday 8 June, many transport ministers from the Member States joined the calls made by Belgium and Greece to simplify the implementation of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS).
This discussion followed on from an informal meeting of transport ministers in Cyprus, which highlighted several obstacles to the deployment of this system (see EUROPE 13859/2). On Monday, the transport ministers also asked the Commission to draw up an ambitious railway industrial strategy and strengthen the competitiveness of European rail freight (see EUROPE 13883/4).
The Belgian text called for the unblocking of ERTMS deployment, prioritising stability, simplicity and interoperability. The Greek initiative focused more specifically on simplifying and speeding up certification and authorisation procedures for railway systems at EU level.
Czech transport minister Ivan Bednárik said he fully supported the Belgian recommendations, emphasising that ERTMS is a prerequisite for improving railway safety, capacity and interoperability in Europe. French minister Philippe Tabarot also hailed ERTMS as the cornerstone of the European rail network, but considered the accelerated deployment timetable “unrealistic”, at a time when delays linked to industrial capacity are being observed.
Similarly, Danish minister Signe Munk called for the rail network to be harmonised, stressing that the introduction of new technical specifications for interoperability should “mature before being incorporated into the legislation, in order to guarantee stability of the rules over a prolonged period”.
Sweden, while supporting the Belgian text, said it shared Greece’s objectives, but had a different view regarding the allocation of additional resources to the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA). Swedish minister Andreas Carlson called for priority to be given to the deployment of ERTMS.
More generally, the Member States “share the same view on simplification. Rail is part of the future of transport in the European Union and we must find a way to move this matter forward”, Cypriot transport minister Alexis Vafeades said at a press conference.
At this stage, the European Commission has not indicated that it wants to formulate a new legislative proposal. However, the institution does plan to simplify the system, Commissioner for Transport Apóstolos Tzitzikóstas said after the meeting.
“We plan to simplify the system and we are currently working on it. A solid Multiannual Financial Framework [editor’s note: the EU’s long-term budget] is also needed to support its implementation. Our efforts over the coming months will focus, on the one hand, on adequate financial support under the future multiannual EU budget and, on the other hand, on simplifying procedures and harmonising rules in order to significantly speed up implementation”, he explained.
Belgian text: https://aeur.eu/f/m8f
Greek text: https://aeur.eu/f/m8g (Original version in French by Juliette Verdes)