Brussels, 07/12/2007 (Agence Europe) - On 11 December, the European Parliament will vote on the report by Josu Ortundo Larrea (ALDE, Spain) on the draft directive on European railway interoperability. Voting on this third proposal of the Community railways package presented by the European Commission last December (see EUROPE 9327), MEPs will approve the compromise reached with the Council on the authorisation procedure for putting rail vehicles (wagons, locomotives) into service, and thus make first reading agreement on this proposal possible. Last week, the EP voted on first reading on the first two proposals (the European Railway Agency and the safety of Community railways) of the package which seeks to ensure the interoperability of railways in Europe. The Transport Council (29-30 November) also came to political agreement on the two proposals. While the Parliament and Council have agreed on the rules on implementation and the certification system for rolling stock, there remains disagreement over the competence of the Railway Agency.
The highly technical directive on interoperability sets the conditions for certification and the technical specifications for interoperability (TSI) for wagons and/or locomotives, conditions and specifications necessary for putting the directive on railway safety and security in place. The interoperability directive will apply to high speed railway systems and conventional trains, but, under the compromise between the Parliament and Council, trams, undergrounds and other light railway systems will not come within its scope. Neither will it include suburban, urban and local networks (or the trains on these networks) or infrastructure and private trains.
There was also first reading agreement between Council and Parliament on the safety of Community railways directive.
This brings together all the provisions on authorising railway vehicles (certificates allowing the vehicles to be brought onto to service; the same certificate will be valid for freight passenger wagons) and states the role of the various players in the sector, including separating that of the vehicle owner or hirer and that of the body responsible for maintenance (see EUROPE 9514). The proposal also introduces a system of maintenance certificates. These certificates, which indicate the condition of the vehicles, will be valid throughout Europe, and maintenance bodies will be free to take part in this system. The Council will adopt a common position on the text early in 2008.
With regard to the draft regulation on the competence of the European Railway Agency, both Council and Parliament agree that its role must be extended. It will be responsible, inter alia, for centralising all the technical and safety rules applicable in the various member states in one register. With its adoption of the report by Paolo Costa on 29 November, Parliament came out in favour of a transfer of responsibility from national certification bodies to the Agency.
MEPs decided that, from 2015, it would be up to the Agency to issue certificates allowing European railway vehicles to be brought into service, in line with TSI. The Council is expected to adopt its common position at one of its forthcoming meetings and then to submit it to the Parliament for second reading. (A.By.)