Brussels, 02/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) does not want the draft regulation on the rights and obligations of international rail passengers extended to national passengers. The organisation repeated this message on 27 September in Strasbourg during a meeting with MEPs on the initiative of Belgian Liberal Dirck Sterckx, European Parliament rapporteur on this dossier. The proposal is part of the third railway package, established in the Community framework guaranteeing minimum rights for international passengers, as well as a system laying down the responsibilities of rail companies (EUROPE 8658). During its first reading, the European Parliament called for the field of application of the proposal to be extended to rail passengers travelling on the national networks of Member States. The CER would find such a situation unacceptable. It argues that the diversity of the national systems (notably that on access for persons with reduced mobility and the age of the rolling stock) would meant that the proposal would have a very negative impact for certain companies, notably in eastern countries. Colin Hall CER Deputy Executive Director explained that, “Huge investments would be necessary to achieve the same passengers' rights standards throughout Europe. The problem is that today, in Central and Eastern Europe the money is urgently needed for the basic operation of the system itself”. The CER is therefore reiterating its appeal for respect of the subsidiarity principle and is calling for the field of the proposal's application to be limited to international passengers. However, Dirck Sterckx believes that the proposal needs to be applied to all passengers. He explained to EUROPE that “If we do not include national passengers, I can't see much added value in the proposal”, which would then only involve 5% of rail passengers. During the second reading, which in principle, should take place by the beginning of 2007, Sterckx insisted that “I will stick to my position of the first reading, on which Parliament gave me its backing”, namely, that of including national passengers.