Brussels, 20/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - "Thanks to the technical expertise developed by the European Railways Agency, the Commission and the Member States can act much more efficiently to speed up the construction of an interoperable, competitive and safe integrated railway area", declared Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot at the inauguration of the European Railways Agency (ERA), in Valencia on 16 June. Having reiterated that efforts to make rail more attractive than other modes of transport must be continued, particularly in terms of "reliability, punctuality, quality of information, and the protection of the clients data, before and during the journey", Mr Barrot presented the principles of ERA's actions (EUROPE 8969). ERA must be independent, show openness (by working directly with representatives of the sector, for example: social partners, national safety authorities, passenger associations, etc), and have experts who are highly experienced in the sector. "In time, I am convinced that the Railways Agency will become a prime body for the technical regulation of the railway system in Europe", Mr Barrot concluded.