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Editorial
Dear Visitor,
This last update before the summer break focuses on a number of interesting issues which are high on CER’s agenda.
Starting with the recast of the first Railway Package, discussions have intensified in the European Parliament over the past weeks. At the same time, talks in the Council have resumed on a ‘general approach’ adopted in June. CER is pleased that MEPs, when meeting in the TRAN Committee on 11 July, stressed the need to ensuring that the recast remains a coherent text, aiming essentially to simplify existing legislation, to enhance transparency as well as to continuously support the development of competition on the market.
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Future of Transport |
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Parliamentarians approach the complexity of the proposal to recast the first Railway Package
Discussions on the Commission’s proposal to recast the first Railway Package have intensified in the European Parliament. At the same time, talks in the Council have resumed on a ‘general approach’ adopted in June.
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Ticketing – a strong point for the railways
The results of a new Eurobarometer survey show “good points for rail passengers who, in general, feel safe and secure when travelling by rail or find it easy to purchase their tickets. […] On ease of ticket purchasing, 79% of respondents find it easy to buy train tickets”.
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TRAN Committee discusses about Transport White Paper
The European Parliament TRAN Committee held a debate on 21 June on the Transport White Paper. On this occasion, rapporteur MEP Mathieu Grosch (EPP, BE) outlined his ideas of taking into due consideration the question of whether the targets of the old White Paper had been reached and, if not, whether this was because they were no longer deemed important or whether it had not been possible to reach them.
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Railway Package 2012 - preparing the ground
The European Commission is preparing the ground for a fourth Railway Package as announced in the Commission Memo accompanying the publication of the White Paper on 28 March 2011. Regulatory issues of high importance for the future of the rail sector will be addressed, including unbundling, corridor entities and proposals for stronger EU-level coordination of regulatory bodies.
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Communication on “The EU and its neighbouring regions: A renewed approach to transport cooperation”
The European Commission published a Communication on “The EU and its neighbouring regions: A renewed approach to transport cooperation” on 7 July. With the document the Commission aims to strengthen transport links with neighbouring regions to the East and South of the EU. The plan proposes concrete measures, in the short and longer term, to make transport connections smoother, safer and more reliable.
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Moving People, Moving Goods |
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Continued recovery in rail freight across Europe, but continued decline of passenger traffic in Eastern Europe
Recent CER data shows a continued recovery from the economic crisis for freight companies in Europe. In 1Q2011, rail freight operators increased tonne-kilometres by 12.5% in Eastern Europe and by 4.2% in Western Europe. In the same period, the rail passenger sector in Western Europe grew by nearly 1%, but contracted by the same amount in Eastern Europe.
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Rail transport has significant potential to lower CO2 emissions through modal shift, concludes new study
Up to 20 Mtonne (million tonnes) of CO2 emissions from freight - some 7% of the total emissions from road and rail freight - could be reduced through full use of main rail corridors and the primary rail network in 2020, a new study examining the potential modal shift from road to rail has concluded.
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Commissioner declares cautious approach to mega-trucks needed
The European Commission will not push for a radical decision on the widespread introduction of mega-trucks that would provoke major opposition in society, European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, told MEPs on 8 July.
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Infrastructure |
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European Commission proposes Multi-Annual Financial Framework 2014-2020
The European Commission published its proposal for the Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) on 29 June. CER welcomes the effort of the European Commission to ensure adequate financing of transport infrastructure.
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News in short |
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Polish Presidency to focus on the revision of the TEN-T guidelines
On 1 July, Poland took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This was celebrated with a ceremony in the Chancellery of the Polish Prime Minister in Warsaw where the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk symbolically took over the Presidency from the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban.
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Transport ministers sign MoU on Corridor 7
On 16 June, in the framework of the EU Transport Council, transport ministers from Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Romania and the Slovak Republic signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of the Rail Corridor 7 (Orient Corridor).
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Two new European Parliament Vice-Presidents appointed
On Tuesday 5 July, British MEP Giles Chichester (EPP, UK) and Greek MEP Anni Podimata (S&D, GR) were elected by acclamation as new Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament.
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News from the political world
High-level political changes in Greece, Czech Republic and Finland.
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CER events |
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CER and UNIFE send strong signal to reinforce railway investment in Central and Eastern Europe
CER and UNIFE organised a rail investment seminar in Sofia to address the very slow absorption of European funds by the railway sector in many Central and Eastern European member states and in particular in Bulgaria and Romania.CER and UNIFE organised a rail investment seminar in Sofia to address the very slow absorption of European funds by the railway sector in many Central and Eastern European member states and in particular in Bulgaria and Romania.
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Authorisation of railway vehicles in the EU discussed in Strasbourg
MEPs and rail stakeholders gathered on 5 July at the European Parliament in Strasbourg to debate on the issue of the authorisation of railway vehicles in the EU and agreed that the objective of a single European market for railway rolling stock needs to be achieved as quickly as possible.
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CER Forum at the Traffic Talks conference on 13 September in Bonn
Traffic Talks is a new two day conference for the international transport and railway sector. It aims to depict the current mobility discussion and place it in the context of social trends and economic developments. CER will organize a panel discussion entitled “Full speed ahead on Europe’s tracks”.
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