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COM (83) 347 
 
 
 
Vol. 1983/0 138 
  
 
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européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
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In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the openi ng to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
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file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februar 198 3 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
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COMMISSION  OF THE  EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 
COM(83) 347 final 
Brussels,  10  June  1983 
Progress  Report from the  Commission  to the  Council 
on the  Commission's  work in the field of international 
railway cooperation 
COM(83)  347  final 

At its meeting on 10 June 1982 the Council took note of the Commission's 
Action  Programme for  International  Railway Cooperation and called on the 
Commission  to continue its work and to submit specific proposals to 
strengthen cooperation between the railways at international level as soon 
as it could. 
To keep the Council abreast of the action being taken, the Commission 
submitted a progress report on its work on international railway coopera-
tion , which this updates, following the numbering of the individual 
actions  in the Action Programme of May 1982. 
I.A.4.  General External Barriers: The Railways' Statutes 
The Commission plans to send the Council a Communication based on talks 
with  the railways and on a study by a consultant in the near future. The 
document concludes  that  there is no need for action by the Commission or by 
the Council and  that  the railways' financial dependence is the root cause 
of the obstacles in the non-commercial sectors. 
I.A.5.  General External Barriers : The Role Assigned to the Railways 
As the Commission stated when it submitted its Action Programme, the lack 
of a sufficiently clear definition of the railways' role in the Member 
States' economies in general and in the transport sector in particular 
makes it difficult for the railways to cooperate profitably on international 
services  and, in particular, to act as a single carrier. In fact, obstacles 
coming  from the.basic philosophical differences between undertakings es­
sentially providing a public service and those where the approach is more 
commercially orientated  will  always be a barrier to effective co-operation. 
(1) 
C0M(82)237-Final  of 7 May, 1982. 
(2) 
C0M(82)848-Final  of 14 December, 1982. 

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The problem will indeed not be easy to solve, as past attempts at national 
level have shown. First, clear definitions of certain concepts in the nation­
al rail policies will be needed combined  with  an approach which applies 
equally to both national and international markets. 
Nevertheless,  the Commission remains convinced  that  definition of the railways' 
role in international transport would be a  first  step. A question so specific 
to the railways should be easier to solve, even though the undertakings do not 
always share the same interests  with  regard to international operations. 
Consequently,  the measures adopted by the Council should serve two objectives 
- to lay down clearly the different objectives of the railways for their 
international goods and passenger services and to allow them the freedom of 
management  that  they need to perform their tasks. The measures taken should 
also  be looked at in the  light  of application of the 1975 Council Decision. 
The Commission has joined rail and government experts in examining the legal 
and technical problems, inter alia on the basis of  SEMA's  report on the com­
mercial structures of the Ten railways. 
Commission  staff have not managed to formulate a proposal for a decision al­
lowing  further  progress in this field as yet. Nor will it be possible to 
meet the deadline set in the Commission's Action Programme (1 July 1983). 
Further talks must be held  with  government representatives to find common 
solutions if possible. 
However, only if the governments are prepared to cooperate and support the 
Commission  in its bid to  draft  a plan  with  the appropriate objectives can 
these efforts  succeed. 

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I.B.6 General internal barriers: Staff 
The sub-group on this topic is expected to finalize its conclusions and agree 
them  with  the unions in time for the Commission to send the  Council,  by the 
end of the year, a proposal for a staff-exchange and vocational-training 
programme specifically designed to promote the cooperation required. 
I.C.7 External barriers to the crossing of frontiers 
In April 1982 the Commission sent the Council a report by a group of independent 
experts - and a proposal - on the barriers to the crossing of frontiers , 
The Council has given  priority  to the proposal, which will be on the agenda 
on 7 June. 
The Commission regards adoption of this proposal by the Council as a small 
step towards removing the current barriers to the crossing of frontiers and 
intends to submit more proposals on the same  issue. 
I. D.8  Internal  barriers to the crossing of frontiers 
See Section  III.A.15. 
II. A.10 Passenger services: Quality of service provided (TEE and IC trains) 
On 29 December 1982 the Commission sent the railways a Recommendation on the 
2 
definition of a high-quality international passenger transport system . 
The Recommendation calls on the railways to send the Commission a progress 
report on their work as soon as possible so  that  it can decide what  further 
action to take. 
1 OJ C 127, 18.5.1982. 
2 C(82) 1782 final. 

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II.A.11  Passe nger services: Establishment of a high-speed international network 
The Transport  Infrastructure  Experimental Programme which the Commission sub­
mitted  at the Council's request sets out the medium-term action to be taken 
to bring about a progressive improvement in the high-speed international net­
work.  It listed a series of projects which the Community could support and 
topics which should be investigated in greater depth in order to map out a 
Community-wide network. 
II.B.12  Passenger services: Commercial management 
The proposal which the Commission put to the Council on  20 December  1982  is 
on the Council's agenda for  7 June. 
II.B.13  Passenger services: Harmonization of fare reductions granted to cert­ 
ain categories of apassenger on social grounds 
On 3 December  1982  the government representatives held an  initial  exchange of 
views  - based on the railways' inventory of the reductions granted on social 
or commercial grounds  - on the prospects for harmonizing the special fares 
granted to certain categories of passenger. They decided to ask the railways 
to put forward proposals on this  matter.  In response to a  further  request by 
the Commission the railways agreed to study the feasibility of harmonizing the 
reductions for the blind, and to  assess  the impact of such measures  from  the 
financial  point  of view and on the compensatory payments made to the rail­
ways.  They also gave the go-ahead for a second feasibility study  - on reduct­
ions for large families  - provided it was carried out under the Commission's 
auspices  and  with  the collaboration of the governments. On  11 April  1983  the 
Commission  duly sent the governments a questionnaire to  find  out their plans 
and wishes on this subject. 
1 C0M(82)  828 final. 

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The Commission intends to arrange a  further  meeting of government experts 
at the end of June, provided it receives the replies to the questionnaire in 
time. 
As for the reductions granted on commercial grounds, on 1 May 1983 seventeen 
railways introduced a system allowing senior citizens holding a special (RES) 
railcard cut-price fares on international trips. They are also exploring the 
possibility of adopting a European passenger  tariff,  including harmonized 
reductions for such categories as children, young people, families and 
groups,  with  effect from June 1984. But there are still many problems dividing 
the Community's railways on the new fares. 
In short, the action embarked on by the Commission will take time. Only if 
the governments show the political will and the railways cooperate more 
readily will significant progress be achieved. 
In spite of everything, the Commission's powers in  this  field  remain limited. 
II.B.14  and III.B.17  Council Recommendation to the railways undertakings 
covering marketing, sales and t ransport rates, and 
exchanges  of information. for passenger and goods 
servi  ces 
In the  light  of talks  with  the railways the Commission formulated a  draft 
Council  Recommendation calling on the railways to step up their cooperation 
on commercial management of international  freight  and passenger services. 
The Communication is to be sent to the Council by the end of June. 
III.A. 15 and  I.D.8  Freight services: Technical matters concerning operation 
and the crossing of frontiers 
The Commission will soon be sending the Council a proposal for a Recommend­
ation to the railways on technical matters concerning the operation of inter­
national  freight  services and internal barriers to the crossing of frontiers. 

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III.B.16  Freight services: Commercial measures 
On 19 July 1982 the Council adopted the Commission's proposal for a Decision 
on the fixing of rates for the international carriage of goods by rail . 
III.B.17  See Section  II.B.14 
IV.A.18 International Piggyback Company 
Interunit's  statutes have now been fully examined: in view of the company's 
undertaking not to interfere  with  the operations of non-affiliated piggyback 
operators performing transport operations on their own account or for hire 
or reward the statutes can be regarded as not being contrary to Article 85(1) 
of the EEC Treaty. 
The Commission will therefore be sending the Council a Communication on this 
subject and a proposal for a Recommendation to the railways and piggyback 
operators very  soon. 
IV.B.19  Rates for containerized and piggyback  traffic 
Now that  the railways' and piggyback operators' Coordinating Committee has 
come out in favour of the Commission's proposal for a Recommendation , the 
Commission  expects to take a decision on this matter very  soon,  i.e. once 
its interdepartmental talks are over. 
IV.C.20  Rail  links for combined transport 
One of the projects in the  first  phase (1983-84) of the Commission's Trans­
port  Infrastructure Experimental Programme involves making an all-out  effort 
to upgrade the Rotterdam-Cologne-Stuttgart line, which is a prime candidate 
for combined transport operations. 
1 OJ L 234, 9.8.1982, p. 5 

7 
Conclusions 
As this report shows,the Commission is pressing ahead  with  its 
programme for a marked improvement in international cooperation between 
the railways. 
Following  talks  with  the Group of Ten the Commission also plans  further 
action to promote the Hermes communication system set up by six railways (BR, 
DB, CFF, FS,  SNCB  and  SNCF).  In all likelihood, the Member States' support 
will be required for this action to facilitate cooperation in a variety of 
fields (including commercial matters,  train  movements, etc.). 
However,  it is essential  that  the Council should support the Commission 
in its action, not only by adopting its proposals as soon as possible 
but also by assessing the political ramifications of the issues raised 
and deciding on the solutions called for.