Brussels, 23/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - At the very time when the Commission was presenting its new proposals to re-launch rail freight, the industries users of the rail created a common "platform" in Brussels to defend their interests. Officially launched on Wednesday, the European Rail Freight Customers Platform (ERFCP) immediately provided succour to the Commission by "fully supporting complete liberalisation of the railway market, which will increase the price/quality ratio of these transport services".
"The main causes of the decline of the railways (in Europe) is the poor quality of the service, the lack of interoperability between national networks, the lack of capacity and high costs", the platform writes in a press release, stipulating that it "considers the absence of competition in Europe to be the main culprit for this unsatisfactory state of affairs and we strongly support the European Commission's upcoming proposals for further rail liberalisation".
The Platform. Moreover, intends pursuing a "constructive dialogue" with the infrastructure managers and the rail companies, "to make clear what freight customers expect from them in terms of service quality".
Created for the most part under the impetus of British and Dutch organisations, the Platform is made up of: 1) representatives of the industry and transport and logistic companies: UNICE, the European Shippers' Council (ESC), the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC), the European Organisation for forwarding and logistics (CLECLAT), Freight Forward Europe (FFE), Dutch Fruit & Vegetables Trade Organisation, 2) national users organiations (Rail Freight Group UK, Dutch Rail Freight Customers' Platform, Forum Kolejowe - Railway Business Forum Poland), 3) private companies: USINOR, DSM, Shell Chemicals, Mars/Masterfoods, ARS Altmann AG, Geest North Sea Line BV, Danzas Eurocargo.