Activites

• 1998/02/02 Final act published in Official Journal
• 1998/01/13 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0002/1998 summary

    In adopting, by 423 votes to 37, with 18 abstentions, the report by Mr Pavlos SARLIS (PPE, GR), the European Parliament expressed the view that railways would be able to survive only if liberalization were extended to this mode of transport. Liberalization should be gradual; during the initial stage it should apply to international goods transport; later, it should also apply to national goods transport and international passenger transport. The introduction of competition should go hand in hand with accompanying social measures. Parliament called on the Commission to make an assessment of the application of Directive 91/440/EEC in the Member States and to submit proposals for amendments with a view to progressive liberalization. Parliament considered that railway undertakings should have the right of free access to railway infrastructure for the operation of international freight transport. Parliament called for proposals concerning interoperability of national networks and any derogations from the implementation of the rules on competition. Equal treatment of modes of transport must be ensured, particularly as regards VAT and duty-free sales. Parliament called on the Commission, as a matter of top priority, to ensure that: - infrastructure networks - especially those leading to and from ports - were opened up rapidly and effectively; - connections were created in future between the various freight freeways to provide the beginnings of a liberalized network; - access to the freight freeways was granted to any operator irrespective of destination and not just to those who were willing to operate between the two farthest points on the freight freeway; - the negotiations with Switzerland took into account the proposals in the White Paper to ensure a fair pricing system for international rail traffic. Parliament called on the Commission to submit as soon as possible proposals for successfully tackling the problems relating to employment, working conditions, training and retraining, etc. which railway workers would face once access to rail infrastructure had been liberalized Parliament called on the Commission to draw up European quality standards for passenger transport, including access for disabled people and facilities for families and children. �

• 1998/01/12 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 1997/12/09 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0412/1997
• #2016
• 1997/06/17 Council Meeting
• #1979
• 1996/12/13 Council Meeting
  • 1979
• #1951
• 1996/10/03 Council Meeting
  • 1951
• 1996/09/05 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 1996/07/30 Non-legislative basic document published
  • COM(1996)0421 summary

    OBJECTIVE: the White Paper sets out the Commission's strategy for revitalizing the Community's railways. SUBSTANCE: the Commission believes that railways should play a much greater role in tackling the transport challenges facing the Community as we move towards the new century, and that urgent action is required to revitalize the sector so that it performs better. This is vital, since the very survival of the railway is at stake. The strategy laid before Member States involves five main areas, each with its own timetable for action for the next two or three years, as follows: 1. Clarification of the financial situation of railway companies: Member States should discharge their obligation to relieve the railways of their past debts and to improve their finances; beginning in 1997, the Commission will report on the progress made in this area. The Member States must also create sound finances by linking all aid to the implementation of restructuring programmes. The Commission will develop specific rules for State aids to the railway sector by 1998; 2. Introduction of market forces in the railway sector: to extend access rights and to stimulate competition, the Commission will press for the adoption of its 1995 proposal designed to ensure freedom of access for all freight services and for international passenger services. To guarantee the effective implementation of access rights, it will propose the separation of infrastructure management and transport operations into distinct business units. With a view to improving the conditions for international freight transport, the Commission will promote the introduction of trans-European 'railway corridors' or freight 'freeways', access to which will be completely open and whose conditions of use will be simplified. Competition should also be introduced in domestic passenger services. Finally, with a view to improving the institutional framework for future railway development, the Commission is prepared to consider, amongst other options, the possibility of setting up a 'European railway agency'. 3. Improvement of public services: the Commission will make proposals to generalize the use of public service contracts agreed by the State and the transport operator, as opposed to the imposition of obligations on transport operators. As with domestic passenger transport, it will study the best practical ways of introducing market forces into public services and will then make proposals; 4. Improving the intermodality of national railway systems: the Commission is proposing measures to encourage the interoperability of conventional rail, to promote technical harmonization with a view to creating a single market in railway infrastructure, and stepping up the research effort. In the case of freight traffic, the Commission will study how to eliminate delays at frontiers caused by administrative controls, and will publish a Communication on the promotion of intermodality at the end of 1996; 5. Integration of social aspects: with regard to personnel affected by restructuring, the Commission calls on Member States to adopt policies providing for substantial programmes to retrain redundant workers. In this connection, it will consider the possibility of contributions from the European Social Fund. It will also publish a White Paper on the sectors (including rail) which were excluded from Directive 93/104/EEC on working time. �

Documents

• Non-legislative basic document published: COM(1996)0421
• Debate in Council: 1951
• Debate in Council: 1979
• Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A4-0412/1997
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0002/1998

History

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