Activities of Ondřej KOVAŘÍK related to 2022/2022(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the action plan to boost long-distance and cross-border passenger rail
Amendments (47)
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
— having regard to the Communication from the Commission of 10 March 2020 on New Industrial Strategy for Europe,
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the new Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy sets the milestone of doubling high-speed rail traffic by 2030; and of tripling high-speed rail traffic by 2050;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 - point c
Paragraph 2 - point c
(c) improving the efficiency and ensuring high quality of transport, while services, while offering sufficient capacity and reducing travel times andt appropriate ticket prices;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – point d
Paragraph 2 – point d
d) ensuring fair competition among rail operators and betweencomplementarity of different modes of transport;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 - point e
Paragraph 2 - point e
(e) ensuring the same level of protection of passengers’ rights in various forms of transport, guaranteeing equal access for all and fostering the attractiveness of rail transport for young people;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the acceleration of the work to ensure the full implementation of the 4th Railway Package and the Technical Specifications for Interoperability; regrets however the non-alignment with the decoupling imperative provided for by the fourth railway package in certain Member States;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Insists on the necessity to ensure appropriate implementation of the guarantee of equal treatment for incumbent operators and new entrants in the access to the infrastructure;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that the full deployment of the ERTMS will help to create a digital single European railway area, ensuring the further development of safe, secure fast and efficient rail transport services for long-distance and cross-border connections;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Highlights that boosting long- distance rail transport must also improve the connection of regional, urban and peripheral areas to TEN-T, although this cannot be done without the need to accelerate the construction of new lines as defined in the TEN-T and without the need to adequately improve the performance of existing lines;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal to speed up the roll-ouUnion-wide deployment of the ERTMS in the revision of the TEN-T Regulation;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Insists on the need to tend towards regulatory stability in technical specifications for interoperability in order to provide a sufficient degree of legal predictability to railway undertakings;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Emphasises the need to ensure quick sufficient and efficient financing and funding to support the investments; calls for a clear and predictable financial framework on the EU level which would go beyond the current multi-annual financial framework in order to underpin the targets set for TEN-T rail infrastructure.
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Emphasises the need to ensure quick and efficient financing to support the investments, including the involvement of the competent authorities to require and compensate public services to encourage the earliest possible deployment of ERTMS OBUs and other TSI standards;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Commends the role of the European Union Agency of Railways, which is one of the pillars of the European Union's rail policy and which carries out its tasks despite insufficient financial means;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Considers that the timely completion of the multimodal, seamless TEN-T core network corridors by 2030 is imperative and must involve the elimination of bottlenecks and missing links and the completion of cross-border sections; supports the planned high-speed rail connections in the extended core network, to be realised by 2040. Believes that priority investments should be also directed to the development of long distance, cross-border high speed rail connections, especially in areas where there is, currently, a lack of high speed rail infrastructure;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Considers that the timely completion of the multimodal, seamless TEN-T core network corridors by 2030 is imperative and must involve the elimination of bottlenecks and missing links and the completion of cross-border sections; supports the planned high-speed rail connections in the extended core network, to be realised by 2040; new high- speed lines in particular are an effective tool for increasing the competitiveness of rail transport and meeting wider EU objectives;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Welcomes the promising alternatives offered by hydrogen and battery trains when electrification of a rail section is not possible for reasons of cost efficiency;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Supports the Commission’s focus on the completion of first/last mile multimodal hubs in cities with more than 100 000 inhabitanturban nodes, thereby strengthening rail connectivity with air, sea and road transport;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls for the clarification of State aid rules on the public funding of new and environmentally friendly interoperable rolling stock for cross-border services in the revised Railway Guidelinesand related service facilities and rail infrastructure in the revised Railway Guidelines; available instruments for financing such vehicles and the implementation of the Luxembourg Protocol;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls for the clarification and simplification of State aid rules on the public funding of interoperable rolling stock for cross-border services in the revised Railway Guidelines;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Emphasises the need forto ensure clear interoperable standards and further investments in rolling stocknew and environmentally friendly rolling stock related service facilities and railway infrastructure;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Emphasises the need for clear interoperable standardpecifications and further investments in rolling stock;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Calls for the support of SMEs and micro-businesses by fostering innovative initiatives and highlights the importance of taking into consideration local, regional and national needs, in order to strengthen and stimulate the business environment for SMEs and to link it with the new industrial policy at EU level;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Stresses the importance of a clear European skills strategy to remove the persistence of technical and operational barriers which hinder cross-border traffic and increase costs and to train “go- everywhere” train drivers;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses the relevance of the New Industrial Strategy for Europe in supportsing the reskilling and upskilling of train drivers, but stresses the importance of ensuring occuand to promote encouragement and in promoting and encouraging motivation in education and training, partional levecularly in new digital skills, and equal opportunities for all;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Insists on the importance of providing support to SMEs for upskilling the sector’s workforce with a specific focus on digital skills and innovative technologies;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses the importance of ensuring improved use of the network and calls for measures to smooth passenger flow, including establishing transit and terminal nodes along high-speed routesbackbone routes. On lines with mixed traffic, these steps require close cooperation in the development of passenger and freight measures to prevent bottlenecks and congestion that undermine the performance of the whole network;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses the importance of ensuring improved use of the network, especially along the TEN-T, and calls for measures to smooth passenger flow, and to enhance the attractiveness of Night Trains, including establishing transit and terminal nodes along high-speed routes;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Highlights the role of digitalisation and better and timely coordination, in particular for of infrastructure administrators with carriers to better coordinate construction works that have a major impact on operations and reliability in cross-border rail traffic;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Highlights the role of digitalisation, cybersecurity and better coordination, in particular for cross-border rail traffic;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Emphasises that track access charging is the relevant revenue stream for Infrastructure Managers and it has to be economically viable for the Infrastructure Managers and provide the possibility to steer market demand.
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Underlines the usefulness of the rail connectivity index for assessing the state of the network and targeting investments according to objective criteria;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the Commission’s upcoming plans to publish guidelines for setting track access charges and to promote pilot projects to explore the impact of reduced track access charges on the set-up of cross-border services;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses the importance of setting fair and appropriate track access pricing for all operators, while ensuring that infrastructure networks are adequately funded;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Acknowledges that making long- distance rail passenger services more attractive requires more accessible smart ticketing to facilitate multimodal journey planning and simplify ticketing procedures through digital services and appropriate protection for passengers in the event of delays or missed connections for single options and through tickets, ensuring, as a minimum, journey continuation;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Notes that the level of data sharing between incumbent railway undertakings and new entrants remains insufficient to reach an optimal functioning of a liberalised railway system, particularly in terms of ticketing;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Takes note of the Commission’s upcoming proposal for a regulation on multimodal digital mobility services to enhance data exchange. Highlights the need for the Commission, when proposing regulations, to ensure that consumers are sufficiently protected when purchasing travel documents via multimodal and other platforms. The proposal should enhance data exchange between the carriers and the provider of the multimodal digital service so that in the event of an emergency, the carrier can communicate directly with the consumer or compensate him or her directly and facilitate the conclusion of fair commercial agreements;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Takes note of the Commission’s upcoming proposal for a regulation on multimodal digital mobility services to enhance data exchange and facilitate the conclusion of fair commercial agreements;.
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Considers that journey continuation is a key factor in passengers’ choice of the modes of transport to use; welcomes the upcoming EC proposal on multimodal digital mobility services (MDMS) with the aim to further enhance travel data access, availability and exchange;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Highlights the importance of seamless user experience when searching, selecting, and buying railway services. Having this in mind, sector-based solutions should be at first considered and promoted to boost multimodal ticketing;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Highlights the need for a comprehensive approach with clear implementation milestones to achieve easier access to multimodal connections, based on interoperable solutions that are fit for purpose;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. WelcomesCalls on the Commission’s willingness to to continue monitoring compliance with the new Rail Passengers’ Rights Regulation;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Considers that all possible avenues should be explored to ensure a level playing field with other transport modes, including the possibility of an EU-wide VAT exemption for international train services, and the revision and simplification of State aid and of the related notification obligation;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Stresses that public service contracts can play a decisive role ine need to supporting the continuity of services and connections to interesting destinations, such as tourist and historical destinations, by providing rail services that help to maintain a dense network of railway links, including to less attractive destinations;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Stresses that public service contracts can play a decisive role in supporting the continuity of services andensuring cross-border services for European citizens and improve connections to interesting destinations, such as tourist and historical destinations, by providing rail services that help to maintain a dense network of railway links, including to less attractive destinations;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Believes that public service obligations can promote the use of rail, including in long-distance passenger transport, in particular in the case of market failures due to insufficient high- speed and high-capacity infrastructure in cross-border and last- mile routes, perhaps in combination with other profitable segments of the network;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls on the Commission and Member States to sustain the momentum of the 2021 European Year of Rail in the 2022 European Year of Youth, by encouraging young people to travel by train and attracting them to professions in the rail sector, which is facing skill shortages driven by innovation and digitalisation;