Activites

• 2004/04/30 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Directive 2004/51
  • OJ L 164 30.04.2004, p. 0164
  • Corrigendum to final act 32004L0051R(01)
  • OJ L 220 21.06.2004, p. 0058-0060
• 2004/04/30 Final act signed
• 2004/04/29 End of procedure in Parliament
• #2578
• 2004/04/26 Council Meeting
• 2004/04/22 Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading
  • T5-0355/2004 summary

    The European Parliament approved the agreements in conciliation on the second rail package. (Please refer to the previous summary).�

• 2004/04/21 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2004/03/23 Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs
  • 3641/2004
• 2004/03/16 Formal meeting of Conciliation Committee
• 2004/03/13 Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading
  • A5-0242/2004
• #2556
• 2003/12/22 Council Meeting
• 2003/10/23 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T5-0453/2003 summary

    The European Parliament adopted the report by Mr M. Georg JARZEMBOWSKI (EPP-ED, D). It has taken an important step towards liberalising railways in the Community. MEPs voted to grant railway companies free access to rail infrastructure, across EU borders, by 1 January 2006 for the purpose of operating freight services and combined transport, and by 1 January 2008 to operate passenger services. This vote means that Parliament has taken a different position to the Council on the timetable for liberalising the European railway market, especially on opening up international and national passenger services. The two institutions will therefore have to start conciliation negotiations. Lastly, the report invites the Commission to examine, on the basis of the report to be submitted at the latest by 15 March 2005, the possibility of extending access rights for rail passenger transport, and present an appropriate proposal to that effect.�

• 2003/10/21 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2003/10/01 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
  • A5-0327/2003
• 2003/07/03 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #2516
• 2003/06/25 Council Meeting
  • 08011/3/2003 summary

    The Council adopted, by qualified majority, the "Second Railway Package", the Belgian, French and Luxembourg delegations voting against, establishing a single market for rail transport service. This package includes the following legal texts: - the Directive on the interoperability of the trans-European rail system; - the Directive on safety on the Community's railways; - the Directive on the development of the Community's railways (market access); - the Regulation establishing a European Railway Agency. In the framework of the overall agreement on Council's common position, the scope and timetable of market access formed most naturally important elements of the overall political compromise achieved by the Council. The Council could therefore not accept the two amendments, which aim to widen considerably the scope of this Directive by incorporating the transport of passengers by rail. The provisions relating to market access in the Council's common position may be summarised as follows: - railway undertakings shall be granted, on equitable conditions, at the latest by 1 January 2006, access to the entire rail network for the purpose of operating international freight services; - at the latest by 1 January 2008, railway undertakings shall be granted, on equitable conditions, access to the infrastructure in all Member States for the purpose of operating all types of rail freight services. Furthermore, by 1 January 2007, the Commission shall submit a report on the implementation of the Market Access Directive. Moreover, it may be noted in this respect that the Commission has presented a declaration stating its intention to present by end of 2003 to the European Parliament and the Council a proposal relating to the introduction of a European driving license for train drivers. With regard to the aforementioned provisions regarding market access, as well as concerning the date of entry into force, the Council has for the sake of clarity made reference to specific dates, rather than making this date dependent upon the eventual date of publication in the Official Journal, as initially proposed. The Council holds that this presentation is a clear signal to all actors involved. Furthermore, Council has agreed on the substance of the amendments which seek to maintain the references to the Trans-European Rail Freight Network (TERFN). In fact, amendments were accepted to the letter, whereas the other amendments were largely taken into account.�

• #X018
• 2003/03/27 Council Meeting
• 2003/01/14 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
  • T5-0004/2003 summary

    The European Parliament adopted a resolution based on the draft by Georg JARZEMBOWSKI (EPP-ED, Germany) and made some amendments to the Commission's proposal. (Please refer to the document dated 27/11/02.) Parliament added that to ensure efficient use of rail transport, persons other than licensed railway undertakings must be able to apply for the allocation of railway infrastructure capacity. Directive 2001/14/EC should be amended accordingly. The definition of "applicant" was also amended.�

• #2472
• 2002/12/05 Council Meeting
  • 2472
• 2002/11/27 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A5-0417/2002
• #X017
• 2002/10/03 Council Meeting
  • X017
• 2002/02/27 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2002/01/23 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(2002)0025 summary

    PURPOSE : to establish a regulatory framework for an integrated European market in freight services. PROPOSED ACT : Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council. CONTEXT : This proposal is part of a package to revitalise the Community railway system by creating an integrated European railway system. The directive is linked to other proposals in this same package, in particular the proposal to establish a common regulatory framework for railway safety and the proposal on amending directives on interoperability of rail systems. It applies a gradual approach to harmonisation and the development of common principles, taking into account the great differences that exist between the Member States. The other measures in the package relate to safety, amendments of the directives on interoperability, and the establishment of a European Railway Agency. CONTENT : The Commission recalls that the application of the principle of freedom to provide services implies rights of access to rail infrastructure for railway undertakings established and licensed in the EU. Directive 91/440 made a first step in this direction by establishing rights of access for international groupings and railway undertakings to operate international combined transport. Directive 2001/12 established access rights to the Trans-European Rail Freight Network and at latest from 2008 onwards to the whole European rail freight network for international services.It is time to prepare the next step of market integration, the opening of domestic rail freight markets (i.e. regular domestic services by a foreign railway undertaking) including the possibility of cabotage (i.e. occasional domestic services while performing international services).The Commission believes that opening the rail freight markets will unleash the competition that is necessary to provide market actors with the necessary incentives to become more efficient and more competitive, as well as to do business closer to the customer. It should attract new capital and enterprises, stimulate the development of new services responding to the requirements of the customers and to improve the financial situation of the railway undertakings.Hence, the current proposal stipulates that all railway undertakings established and licensed in the European Union will be granted access to the railway network for domestic and international rail freight services from the date of implementation of this Directive onward. The concept of limiting access for international rail freight services to the Trans-European Rail Freight Network (TERFN) that was in any case only a transitory arrangement until 2008 at the latest will be repealed. Therefore, this proposal deletes all references to the TERFN.The provisions in Directive 91/440 as amended by Directive 2001/12 that relate to railway safety are deleted in this proposed amendment to avoid any overlap with the proposed directive on railway safety.

  • DG ['Energy and Transport'],

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(2002)0025
• Debate in Council: X017
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A5-0417/2002
• Debate in Council: 2472
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T5-0004/2003
• Council position published: 08011/3/2003
• Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A5-0327/2003
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T5-0453/2003
• Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading: A5-0242/2004
• Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs: 3641/2004
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading: T5-0355/2004
• : Directive 2004/51
• : OJ L 164 30.04.2004, p. 0164
• : Corrigendum to final act 32004L0051R(01)
• : OJ L 220 21.06.2004, p. 0058-0060

History

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