COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 30.10.1997 
CQM(97) 507 final 
96/ 0207 (SYN) 
Amended proposal for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) 
concerning the granting of Community financial assistance 
for actions to promote combined goods transport 
(presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 189 a (2) 
of the EC-Treaty) 

Explanatory Memorandum 
At its plenary session of 12 June 1997, the European Parliament has 
given its opinion on the Commission proposal1 for a Council Regulation 
(EC) concerning the granting of Community financial assistance for 
actions to promote combined goods transport, providing for a number of 
amendments. 
The Commission has accepted the first part of amendment 2, amendment 
3, the first part of amendment 4, and amendment 7, as far as it relates to 
synergies with the PHARE programme, for the following reasons. 
The first part of amendment 2, concerning Article (4)(1)(b) of the 
Commission proposal, states that the innovative measures supported by 
PACT concern specific operational measures, and is therefore a useful 
clarification. 
Amendment 3 relating to Art. 6(3)(d) of the Commission proposal, which 
proposes to make access costs to inland waterway infrastructure eligible 
for assistance, is in line with the general thrust of PACT not to 
discriminate between the various non-road modes. 
The first part of amendment 4, proposing a new littera (a) to Art. 6(4) of 
the Commission proposal, stresses the conformity of proposals with the 
axes of the trans-European network and the Trans-European freight 
freeways. The Commission agrees that these policy initiatives are an 
important part of the Community transport policy. PACT Projects should 
therefore be measured also against these policy goals. However, as the 
most important policy goal of the PACT Programme is to achieve a traffic 
shift from road to other modes, the Commission proposes to move the 
new littera to the end of Art. 6(4). 
Amendment 7, as far as it relates to the synergies with the PHARE 
programme, is useful, as both programmes may potentially overlap, 
especially in the framework of PHARE Multicountry. It is the 
Commission's endeavour to manage PACT and PHARE in a coherent 
way. However, the Parliament's proposal to insert this amendment in 
Article 7 would not be in line with the substance of the Article, which 
deals with comitology. It is therefore proposed to insert it as a new Art. 
O.J. No. C 343, 15 November 1996, p. 4 
6(5), as Art. 6 deals with the selection criteria applicable to submitted 
projects. 
The Commission therefore amends its proposal as follows: 
Amended Proposal for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) 
concerning the granting of Community financial assistance 
for actions to promote combined goods transport 
Original Proposal Amended Proposal 
Article 4(1 Mb) 
(b) innovative measures, namely 
specific investments and certain 
variable operating costs with the 
exception of measures 
concerning staff costs, energy 
consumption and the covering of 
financial losses. (b) innovative measures, namely 
investments in specific 
operational measures and certain 
variable operating costs with the 
exception of measures 
concerning staff costs, energy 
consumption and the covering of 
financial losses. 
Article 6(3)(d) 
(d) cost factors (especially 
elements for evaluating the 
marginal cost of access to the 
infrastructure, particularly rail, for 
the service covered by the pilot 
action and any further 
information enabling a judgment 
to be made as to whether aid 
towards the costs of 
infrastructure access is justified) (d) cost factors (especially 
elements for evaluating the 
marginal cost of access to the 
infrastructure, particularly rail 
and inland waterways, for the 
service covered by the pilot 
action and any further 
information enabling a judgment 
to be made as to whether aid 
towards the costs of 
infrastructure access is justfied) 
Article 6(4) 
In assessing whether the project 
is likely to meet Community 
transport goals, the following 
indicators shall be given priority: In assessing whether the project 
is likely to meet Community 
transport goals, the following 
indicators shall be given priority: 
(a) traffic shift forecast (as 
percentage of total traffic on 
route or axis); (a) traffjc shift forecast (as 
percentage of total traffic on 
route or axis); 
(b) effects on other transport 
services in the relevant market 
and possible new entrants; 
(c) relevance of project results 
for other ventures, routes or 
market participants; 
(d) benefits to environment 
and safety when compared with 
existing services. (b) effects on other transport 
services in the relevant market 
and possible new entrants; 
(c) relevance of project results 
for other ventures, routes or 
market participants; 
(d) benefits to environment 
and safety when compared with 
existing services. 
(e) contribution of the project 
to the development and use of 
the trans-European transport 
networks and of the Trans-
European Rail Freight Freeways. 
Art 6(5) new 
5. Due consideration in the 
selection process shogld also be 
given to projects which link up 
connections to the countries of 
Central and Eastern Europe and 
tQ projects, which create 
synergie with the PHAPE 
programme 
5. The Commission shall also 
ensure that the submission 
complies with the further 
conditions laid down in this 
Regulation, namely: 
(a) the consent of States on 
whose territory the action is 
carried out; 6. The Commission shall also 
ensure that the submission 
complies with the further 
conditions laid down in this 
Regulation, namely: 
(a) the consent of States on 
whose territory the action is 
carried out; 
(b) the exclusion of 
infrastructure measures; (b) the exclusion of 
infrastructure measures; 
(c) the exclusion of research 
measures; 
(d) a guarantee that, as from 27 
June 1997, the railway 
undertakings taking part in the 
project hold a licence within the 
meaning of Article 2 of Directive 
95/18/EC. (c) the exclusion of research 
measures; 
(d) a guarantee that, as from 27 
June 1997, the railway 
undertakings taking part in the 
project hold a licence within the 
meaning of Article 2 of Directive 
95/18/EC. 
6. The evaluation and monitoring 
procedures referred to in Article 
10 shall be determined by the 
decisions provided for in 
paragraph 1 of this Article. 
7. These decisions are 
addressed to the beneficiaries 
and the Member States in whose 
territory the combined transport 
routes are situated. 7. The evaluation and monitoring 
procedures referred to in Article 
10 shall be determined by the 
decisions provided for in 
paragraph 1 of this Article. 
8. These decisions are 
addressed to the beneficiaries 
and the Member States in whose 
territory the combined transport 
routes are situated. 
The remainder of the text is unchanged. 
ISSN 0254-1475 
OM(97) 507 fmal 
DOCUMENTS 
07 10 01 09 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-97-516-EN-C 
ISBN 92-78-25671-4 
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