Brussels, 07/09/2009 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission intends to legislate in 2010 in an effort to make good the shortcomings in the European rail market and improve interoperability in the rail sector. The European Rail Agency (ERA) is currently drawing up a series of Technical Interoperability Specificities (ITS), which are expected to facilitate harmonisation of technological standards applied in infrastructure, energy systems and rolling stock (locomotives, passenger carriages) etc. These standard already cover high speed trains and a large part of the rail sector but according to the Commission, their limited use is putting a considerable brake on rail market consolidation in Europe. The existing legislative framework is due to be completed next year by way of ITS adoption and a legislative review of legislation on the Trans-European Transport (TEN-T) network. The rail sector safety conference planned for Tuesday 8 September, is expected to result in the approval of an action plan elaborated by ERA and which will constitute a response to failings in safety identified in the rail safety directive (except for Luxembourg, all member states have communicated safety implementation measures to the Commission and which are planned in the second railway package). Cooperation between the different national safety and safety standard harmonisation agencies has still not been applied. Nothing would appear to suggest that the Commission will immediately tackle the question of opening up the market either and which was planned in the first railway package of 1998. A review of the package was planned for this year in an effort to clarify and consolidate existing legislation (three directives focusing on the opening up of access to the freight rail network, on the condition of allocating licences and sharing out rail capacity, as well as responding to transposition failings highlighted in the implementation report on the first railway package (EUROPE 9179). Rather than legislating through revision, the Commission is more in favour of pursuing infringement procedures. Around twenty reasoned opinions are still expected to be sent out this month to states that have failed to correctly transpose the package but a one or two year wait is required before the European Court of Justice is called on to address the member states that are failing to comply. (A.By)