BETA


2021/0228(COD) Cross-border infrastructure linking the Union and the United Kingdom through the Channel Fixed Link

Progress: Awaiting committee decision

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead TRAN
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 163, TFEU 091-p1

Events

2021/09/13
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading
2021/07/13
   EC - Legislative proposal
Details

PURPOSE: to amend Regulation (EU) 2020/2222 in order to ensure the continuity of cross-border rail services with the UK beyond 30 September 2021.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: in order to ensure connectivity between the EU and the UK after the end of the transitional period referred to in Article 126 of the Agreement on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union and to guarantee the continuity of the activities of railway undertakings established and licensed in the UK operating on the cross-Channel fixed link, Regulation (EU) 2020/2222 established measures to ensure the continuity of EU cross-border rail services with the UK.

Regulation (EU) 2020/2222:

- extended until 30 September 2021 the period of validity of the licences issued by the United Kingdom to rail operators established in its territory, as well as that of the safety certificates issued to those undertakings by the Intergovernmental Commission established pursuant to the Treaty between the UK and France concerning the construction and operation by private concessionaires of a channel fixed link, signed at Canterbury on 12 February 1986 (the ‘Treaty of Canterbury’);

- extended the period of validity of the safety authorisation of the Channel Fixed Link infrastructure manager issued by the said Intergovernmental Commission until 28 February 2021.

Decision (EU) 2020/1531 of the European Parliament and of the Council empowers France and the United Kingdom to conclude an international agreement concerning the construction and operation of a Channel Fixed Link (‘the Treaty of Canterbury’) as regards the application of railway safety rules within the Channel Fixed Link. However, no agreement has been concluded yet or is likely to be concluded soon.

In this context, France and the UK have negotiated a cross-border agreement on safety certificates. France has also negotiated a cross-border agreement on the licensing of railway undertakings.

Additional time is needed to complete the formal procedures required under the law of both Parties for the provisional application or entry into force of these agreements. These procedures are expected to extend for six months after the expiry, on 30 September 2021, of the contingency measures currently in force.

CONTENT: the proposed amendment to Regulation (EU) 2020/2222 aims to extend the contingency measures concerning the validity of licences and safety certificates in order to ensure the continuity of operations on the Channel fixed link. The end of the proposed extension is 31 March 2022 .

Documents

  • Legislative proposal: EUR-Lex
  • Legislative proposal: COM(2021)0402
  • Legislative proposal: EUR-Lex COM(2021)0402

Votes

Prorogation de la validité des certificats de sécurité et des licences d'exploitation des entreprises ferroviaires empruntant le tunnel sous la Manche - Extension of validity of safety certificates and licences of railway undertakings operating in the Channel tunnel - Verlängerung der Geltungsdauer der Sicherheitsbescheinigungen und Genehmigungen für Eisenbahnunternehmen, die durch den Ärmelkanaltunnel verkehren - COM(2021)0402 - C9-0314/2021 - 2021/0228(COD) - Demande d’application de la procédure d’urgence #

2021/09/13 Outcome: +: 682, 0: 4, -: 1
DE FR IT ES PL RO NL BE SE PT CZ HU AT EL BG SK DK IE FI HR LT SI LV EE MT CY LU
Total
94
79
72
59
51
32
29
21
21
21
20
20
19
20
17
13
13
13
13
10
10
8
7
7
6
6
6
icon: PPE PPE
176

Hungary PPE

1

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Latvia PPE

2

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1

Malta PPE

2
2

Luxembourg PPE

2
icon: S&D S&D
141

Czechia S&D

For (1)

1

Greece S&D

2

Denmark S&D

2

Lithuania S&D

2

Slovenia S&D

2

Latvia S&D

2

Estonia S&D

2

Cyprus S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1
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97

Italy Renew

2
3

Hungary Renew

2

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Ireland Renew

2

Finland Renew

3

Croatia Renew

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1

Lithuania Renew

1

Slovenia Renew

2

Estonia Renew

3

Luxembourg Renew

2
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70

Spain Verts/ALE

3

Poland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Portugal Verts/ALE

1

Czechia Verts/ALE

2

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Finland Verts/ALE

3

Lithuania Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1
icon: ID ID
70

Netherlands ID

Against (1)

1

Czechia ID

2
3

Denmark ID

For (1)

1

Finland ID

2

Estonia ID

For (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
62

Germany ECR

1

Romania ECR

1

Greece ECR

1

Bulgaria ECR

2

Slovakia ECR

For (1)

1

Croatia ECR

1

Lithuania ECR

1

Latvia ECR

2
icon: The Left The Left
38

Netherlands The Left

For (1)

1

Belgium The Left

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1

Sweden The Left

For (1)

1

Czechia The Left

1

Denmark The Left

1

Cyprus The Left

2
icon: NI NI
33

Germany NI

2

Netherlands NI

1

Slovakia NI

For (1)

1

Croatia NI

1

Lithuania NI

1

History

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

docs/1
date
2021-09-21T00:00:00
docs
title: 00062/2021/LEX
type
Draft final act
body
CSL
events/0
date
2021-09-07T00:00:00
type
Decision by committee, without report
body
EP
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting committee decision
New
Awaiting Parliament's position in 1st reading
procedure/legal_basis/0
Rules of Procedure EP 163
events
  • date: 2021-09-13T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading body: EP
forecasts
  • date: 2021-09-13T00:00:00 title: Vote in plenary scheduled
procedure/dossier_of_the_committee
  • TRAN/9/06833
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Preparatory phase in Parliament
New
Awaiting committee decision
forecasts/0/title
Old
Indicative plenary sitting date
New
Vote in plenary scheduled
otherinst
  • name: European Economic and Social Committee
  • name: European Committee of the Regions
procedure/other_consulted_institutions
European Economic and Social Committee European Committee of the Regions
forecasts
  • date: 2021-09-13T00:00:00 title: Indicative plenary sitting date
commission
  • body: EC dg: Mobility and Transport commissioner: VĂLEAN Adina-Ioana
docs/0/summary
  • PURPOSE: to amend Regulation (EU) 2020/2222 in order to ensure the continuity of cross-border rail services with the UK beyond 30 September 2021.
  • PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.
  • ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.
  • BACKGROUND: in order to ensure connectivity between the EU and the UK after the end of the transitional period referred to in Article 126 of the Agreement on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union and to guarantee the continuity of the activities of railway undertakings established and licensed in the UK operating on the cross-Channel fixed link, Regulation (EU) 2020/2222 established measures to ensure the continuity of EU cross-border rail services with the UK.
  • Regulation (EU) 2020/2222:
  • - extended until 30 September 2021 the period of validity of the licences issued by the United Kingdom to rail operators established in its territory, as well as that of the safety certificates issued to those undertakings by the Intergovernmental Commission established pursuant to the Treaty between the UK and France concerning the construction and operation by private concessionaires of a channel fixed link, signed at Canterbury on 12 February 1986 (the ‘Treaty of Canterbury’);
  • - extended the period of validity of the safety authorisation of the Channel Fixed Link infrastructure manager issued by the said Intergovernmental Commission until 28 February 2021.
  • Decision (EU) 2020/1531 of the European Parliament and of the Council empowers France and the United Kingdom to conclude an international agreement concerning the construction and operation of a Channel Fixed Link (‘the Treaty of Canterbury’) as regards the application of railway safety rules within the Channel Fixed Link. However, no agreement has been concluded yet or is likely to be concluded soon.
  • In this context, France and the UK have negotiated a cross-border agreement on safety certificates. France has also negotiated a cross-border agreement on the licensing of railway undertakings.
  • Additional time is needed to complete the formal procedures required under the law of both Parties for the provisional application or entry into force of these agreements. These procedures are expected to extend for six months after the expiry, on 30 September 2021, of the contingency measures currently in force.
  • CONTENT: the proposed amendment to Regulation (EU) 2020/2222 aims to extend the contingency measures concerning the validity of licences and safety certificates in order to ensure the continuity of operations on the Channel fixed link. The end of the proposed extension is 31 March 2022 .