Activites

• 2001/12/11 Additional information
• 2001/12/11 End of procedure in Parliament
• 1999/09/16 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T5-0015/1999 summary

    The European Parliament confirmed its first reading in the context of the codecision procedure of the text voted upon on 25.10.1996 concerning this proposal for a directive.�

• 1999/07/28 Committee report tabled for plenary confirming Parliament's position
  • A5-0005/1999
• 1999/07/28 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
• #2108
• 1998/06/17 Council Meeting
  • 2108
• 1997/02/13 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(1997)0034 summary

    The amended Commission proposal incorporated three of the nine amendments adopted by Parliament at first reading: - stressing that the principle of freedom to provide services must be applied uniformly in the Member States as the directive is implemented, in order to avoid distortions of competition in and between the Member States; - stressing the need to take account of the socio-economic role of regional rail transport in the process of liberalization; - stating that access and transit rights to the infrastructure must be granted on equitable, transparent and non-discriminatory conditions. The Commission rejected the following amendments: - requiring the Member States to help reduce debt and improve finances by the date of transposal of the directive; - requiring the Member States to ensure that the railways have customary own resources; - requiring the Member States to require the establishment of separate debt amortization units within railway undertakings; - requiring the Member States to ensure by 1 January 2000 that the railways are not at a disadvantage compared to other modes of transport as regards VAT on cross-border transport and other fiscal provisions such as duty-free sales; - requiring the Commission to report on plans to further interoperability. �

• 1996/11/24 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament summary

    The rapporteur, Mr Farthofer (PSE, A), pointed out that the Committee on Transport had supported the ongoing deregulation of the Community railway network by adopting the report amending the Directive in question. According to Mr Farthofer, the committee had adopted several amendments on measures to write off the debts of existing railway companies and harmonise the rules applying to all modes of transport, failing which the enterprises in question would be threatened with bankruptcy. The rapporteur also proposed that cross-border passenger rail transport should not be put at a disadvantage compared to rival modes of transport when it came to VAT. Commissioner Papoutsis stated that the Commission was looking into a number of problems, including reducing debt levels, the inclusion of external costs, tax relief and fees for infrastructure use. However, he said that he was unable to take over a number of the Committee on Transport’s amendments, including Amendments Nos 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8, which went beyond the scope of the proposal for a directive. He also thought that the first paragraph of Amendment No 7 would constitute a step backwards in the debt reduction process.

• 1996/10/25 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0560/1996 summary

    In adopting the report by Mr Erich FARTHOFER (PSE, A), Parliament welcomed the continued liberalization of the railways in the Community. However, it introduced several amendments concerning measures to write off the debt of existing railway undertakings and to harmonize the rules applicable to all the modes of transport. Parliament also proposed that, in respect of VAT, cross-border passenger transport by rail should be at no disadvantage to other modes of transport offering similar services. �

• 1996/10/24 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament summary

    The rapporteur, Mr Farthofer (PSE, A), pointed out that the Committee on Transport had supported the ongoing deregulation of the Community railway network by adopting the report amending the Directive in question. According to Mr Farthofer, the committee had adopted several amendments on measures to write off the debts of existing railway companies and harmonise the rules applying to all modes of transport, failing which the enterprises in question would be threatened with bankruptcy. The rapporteur also proposed that cross-border passenger rail transport should not be put at a disadvantage compared to rival modes of transport when it came to VAT. Commissioner Papoutsis stated that the Commission was looking into a number of problems, including reducing debt levels, the inclusion of external costs, tax relief and fees for infrastructure use. However, he said that he was unable to take over a number of the Committee on Transport’s amendments, including Amendments Nos 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8, which went beyond the scope of the proposal for a directive. He also thought that the first paragraph of Amendment No 7 would constitute a step backwards in the debt reduction process.

• 1996/09/30 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0293/1996
• 1996/06/21 Additional information
• 1995/12/11 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 1995/07/19 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(1995)0337 summary

    OBJECTIVE: the proposal for a Council directive aims to amend Directive 91/440/EEC (which establishes the rights of access for groupings of undertakings involved in the transport of goods to the railway networks of other Member States) with a view to making rail transport more competitive by attracting new capital and encouraging existing operators to improve their performance. SUBSTANCE: - the right of access would be extended to individual operators; - the scope of the directive would be extended to cover both national and international transport of freight and international transport of passengers. �

• 1995/03/10 Additional information

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(1995)0337
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A4-0293/1996
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0560/1996
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(1997)0034
• Debate in Council: 2108
• Committee report tabled for plenary confirming Parliament's position: A5-0005/1999
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T5-0015/1999

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)