13. 7. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 187/7 
Draft Council recommendation on railway tariffs for international transport by container 
and piggyback techniques 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 24 June 1983) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN 
COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the 
European Economic Community, 
Having regard to the draft recommendation 
submitted by the Commission, Whereas, in order to attain this objective, consensus 
is required not only between the railway companies 
but also between the companies responsible for 
marketing and selling railway services in respect of 
combined transport and the piggyback companies; 
whereas a consultation procedure should therefore be 
established whereby the railway undertakings consult 
their partners in the combined transport sector before 
setting or adjusting tariffs, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par­
liament, HEREBY RECOMMENDS: 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas there has been considerable expansion in 
combined transport, namely container transport and 
piggyback transport; whereas there is still 
considerable potential on the European market where 
combined transport is concerned, provided that the 
railway companies take positive steps to promote this 
mode of transport, particularly by correctly assessing 
the competitive environment of the various modes of 
transport; Article 1 
The railway companies listed in the Annex shall, 
within the framework of the commercial 
independence granted to them by Council Decision 
82/529/EEC of 19 July 1982 on the fixing of rates 
for the international carriage of goods by rail ('), 
endeavour to pursue a marketing policy for combined 
transport such as to encourage the development of 
this mode of transport on traffic links between 
Member States. 
Whereas, in this context, greater efforts should be 
made to achieve closer and more active cooperation 
between all the parties involved in combined 
transport; whereas these efforts should in particular 
be aimed at solving the problems arising in 
connection with tariff structures and rate levels; 
Whereas experience has shown that, where inter­
national combined transport is concerned, it is inap­
propriate to apply tariff structures whereby the rates 
for particular international links are obtained by 
adding together the rates charged on the basis of the 
national tariffs; 
Whereas through tariffs independent of national 
tariffs could, however, strengthen the competitive 
position of combined transport as they are better 
adapted to the specific features of an international 
market; Article 2 
1. Where tariff policy is concerned, it is 
recommended that the railway companies in the first 
instance continue the improvement of the existing 
tariff structures for container and piggyback 
transport, whereby the scales for the national sections 
are combined, by means of through tariffs involving a 
decreasing scale of charges. 
2. In the second instance, through tariffs for 
combined transport (container transport and 
piggyback transport) should be set at a level which, 
while meeting the requirement of Article 7 of 
Decision 82/529/EEC, takes sufficient account of the 
existing competitive situation, and in particular the 
through rates charged by road hauliers on the traffic 
links concerned. 
Whereas, when through tariffs are set and when the 
level of rates is subsequently changed, there should be 
sufficent flexibility to enable rail charges to be 
adjusted to the market situation; (') OJ No L 234, 9. 8. 1982, p. 5. 
No C 187/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 13.7.83 
Article 3 
1. Where pricing policy is concerned, it is 
recommended that the railway companies should 
make sufficient allowance for the need to adjust 
quickly to changes in the market situation and 
respond flexibly and competitively to market forces 
where combined transport is concerned. 
2. To attain these objectives, the railway 
companies should give the companies they have 
already set up or are in the process of setting up in 
order to market and sell rail services in respect of 
combined transport sufficient room for manoeuvre 
where rate-formation for customers is concerned. 
3. A rapid consultation procedure between the 
railway companies and the marketing companies 
concerned should be put into operation if the said 
margin of manoeuvre becomes insufficient in relation 
to the market situation. 
Article 4 
1. Where procedures are concerned, the railway 
companies should work in close cooperation with 
their partners when drawing up and modifying tariffs for combined transport in order to ensure that their 
efforts to encourage the development of this form of 
transport are maintained. 
2. It is therefore recommended that, before taking 
any decisions on tariffs for combined transport which 
fall within their responsibility, the railway companies 
should submit proposals for drawing up and 
modifying tariffs for combined transport to the 
companies responsible for marketing and selling rail 
services in respect of combined transport and the 
piggyback companies. 
Article 5 
It is recommended that the railway companies draw 
up a report before 1986 for submission to the Council 
and the Commission on progress made and 
difficulties encountered in implementing this 
recommendation, including their suggestions as to the 
action they consider should be taken at Community 
level in order to attain the objectives in question. 
Article 6 
This recommendation is addressed to the railway 
companies listed in the Annex. 
BILAGIANHANGIIIAPAPTHMA /ANNEX IANNEXE IALLEGATOIBIJLAGE 
Jernbanevirksomheder / Eisenbahnen / EiSiipo5pO|iiK& ftirrva / Railway companies / Entreprises de 
chemin dc fer / Red ferroviarie / Spoorwegen 
— Societe nationale des chemins de fer beiges (SNCB) / Nationale Maatschappij der Belgische 
Spoorwegen (NMBS) 
Rue de France 85, B-1070 Bruxelles 
Frankrijkstraat 85, B-1070 Brussel 
— Danske Statsbaner (DSB) 
Solvgade 40, DK-Kebenhavn 
— Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) 
Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 43, D-6000 Frankfurt (Main) 
— Opyavtofio^ Si8npo8p6uwv EXXA8o$ AE (OEE) 
086? Kap6/U)u 1, GR-A3f|vcu 
— Societe nationale des chemins de fer francais (SNCF) 
Rue Saint Lazare 88, F-75436 Paris 
— Coras Iompair Eirean (CIE) 
Heuston Station, IRL-Dublin 8 
— Azienda autonoma delle ferrovie dello Stato (FS) 
Piazza della Croce Rossa, I-Roma 
— Soci6te nationale des chemins de fer Luxembourgeois (CFL) 
Place de la Gare 9, L-Luxembourg 
— Naamloze Vennootschap Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) 
Moreelse park 1, NL-3500 HA Utrecht 
— British Railways Board (BRB) 
Euston Square, UK-London NWl 2DZ 
— Northern Ireland Railways Company Ltd (NIR) 
East Bridge Street, UK-Belfast BTl 3PB.