Strasbourg, 06/07/2000 (Agence Europe) - Following the broad guidelines of its rapporteur Georg Jarzembowski, the European Parliament confirmed, with a majority, the goal of the total liberalisation of the European railways by 2010, thus opposing the Council compromise that limited itself to foreseeing the liberalisation for a transeuropean freight rail network (so as to gain the consent of the two most reticent countries, France and Belgium). A conciliation procedure will be necessary following the results of this second reading in the EP.
Amending the draft that modified Directive 91/440 on the development of railways, the EP notes that: 1) at the end of this 5 year transition period, the liberalisation of freight must be extended to national and international networks, 2) access rights to railway networks must be extended "at the latest by 2010 to all international passenger transport" (amendment adopted by 380 votes for, 162 against and 7 abstentions). Furthermore, the EP removes all the exemptions granted by the Council to Ireland, Luxembourg and Greece. Commissioner Liikanen indicated during the vote that the Commission could not accept these amendments. However, the Transport Commissioner Mrs. Loyola de Palacio was more conciliatory during the debate, in plenary on Tuesday, announcing that she intends presenting new proposals on the liberalisation of the railways.
On the basis of the Swoboda report also voted through in plenary, the EP also modified two other draft Directives in the "railways package", concerning: 1) railway company licences, 2) the allocation of railway infrastructure capacities, the pricing and the certifying of security. The EP modified the main prices and removed the exemptions. A conciliation procedure will also be necessary, even if political conflict with the Council is less significant here than in the case of the Jarzembowski report.