Considerations on COM(2002)25 - Amendment of Council directive 91/440/EEC on the development of the EC's railways

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dossier COM(2002)25 - Amendment of Council directive 91/440/EEC on the development of the EC's railways.
document COM(2002)25 EN
date April 29, 2004
 
table>(8)Council Directive 91/440/EEC of 29 July 1991 (5) provides that licensed railway undertakings are granted rights of access to the trans-European Rail Freight Network and, at the latest from 2008, to the whole network for international rail freight services.
(9)The extension of those access rights to international rail freight services on the whole network as from 1 January 2006 should lead to greater than expected gains in terms of modal shift and the development of international rail freight.

(10)The extension of those access rights to all kinds of rail freight services as from 1 January 2007, in accordance with the principle of freedom to provide services, would improve the efficiency of the rail mode relative to other modes of transport. It would also facilitate sustainable transport between and within Member States, by encouraging competition and allowing entry of new capital and enterprises.

(4)This Directive is part of a comprehensive set of measures announced by the White Paper on transport policy and encompassing Directive 2004/ /EC on safety on the Community's railways (Railway Safety Directive) (6), Directive 2004/ /EC amending the interoperability directives (7) and Regulation (EC) No /2004 establishing the European Railway Agency (Agency Regulation) (8). This set of measures, referred to as the “second railway package”, was adopted to further develop the Community regulatory framework in the field of railways, as established in particular by Directives 2001/12/EC (9),2001/13/EC (10) and 2001/14/EC (11), these latter Directives being referred to as the “first railway package”. In order to complete the regulatory framework and pursue the effort to realise an integrated European railway area, the Commission proposed on 3 March 2004 a third set of measures that will further contribute to the objective of this Directive. This proposed third step addresses train drivers licensing, quality of service for rail freight transport, passenger rights in international railway transport and market-opening for international passenger transport services by rail. The European Parliament voted already in October 2003 in this legislative procedure on an amendment aiming at the market-opening for all passenger transport services by 2008. The European Parliament and the Council agreed to examine diligently the third set of measures. With regard to market-opening for international passenger transport services, the date of 2010 proposed by the Commission has to be considered as an objective allowing all operators to prepare in an appropriate manner.

(5)The Commission should study developments in traffic, safety, working conditions and the situation of operators and should produce, by 1 January 2006, a report on those developments accompanied, where appropriate, by fresh proposals providing a basis for the best possible conditions for the Member States' economies, for rail undertakings and their employees, and for rail users.

(6)Rail freight services offer considerable opportunities for the creation of new transport services and the improvement of existing ones at national and at European level.

(7)To be fully competitive, rail freight transport increasingly requires the provision of comprehensive services, including transport between and within Member States.

(8)Since railway safety is regulated by Directive 2004/.../EC (12) as part of a new coherent Community regulatory framework for the railway sector, the provisions on safety contain in Directive 91/440/EEC should be repealed.

(9)Directive 91 /440/EEC should therefore be amended accordingly,