ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(73)315
Vol.1973/0050

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUMTE3
COM(73)315final
Brussels.28February1973
OPINIONOFTHECOMMISSION
of28February1973
addressedtotheGovernmentoftheFrenchRepublicconcerning
adraftMinisterial decreeimplementing theSNCFtariffsystem
forthetransportofgoodsandadraftDecisionrelatingto
arrangements forthepublication oftheratesandcharges
applicabletotransportbytheSNCF,byroadandbyinland
waterways
COM(73)315final

OPi.NICER OFTHE COMMISSION
of28February 1973
addressed totheGovernment oftheFrench Republic concerning adraft Ministerial
decree implementing theSNCF tariff system forthetransport ofgoods andadraft
Decision relating toarrangements forthepublication oftherates andcharges
applicable totransport bytheSNCF ,byroad andbyinland waterways .
Inaccordance with Article 1oftheCouncil Decision of21March 1962 (l)
instituting aprocedure forprior examination andconsultation inreppect ofcer­
tain laws ,regulations andadministrative provisions concerning transport ,the
French Government communicated totheCommission byletter of11January 1973
from theOffice ofitsPermanent Representatives totheEuropean Communities the
text ,along with anexplanatory note ,ofadraft Ministerial decree implementing
thetariff system oftheSociete Nationale desChemins deferFrangais (SNCF )
(French National Railways )forthetransport ofgoods ,andadraft Decision rela­
ting toarrangements forthepubliciation oftherates andcharges applicable to
transport bySNCF ,byroad andbyinland waterways .Theletter from theOffice
ofthePermanent Representatives reached theCommission on15January 1973 and
the French Government has also notified the other Member States ofthe draft .
Ontheinitiative oftheCommission ,afact-finding meeting washeld ,
with therepresentatives oftheFrench Government on5February 1973 inBrussels .
Inaccordance with Article 2(4)oftheCouncil Decision andinagreement with
theFrench Government ,thetime-limit ofonemonth provided inparagraph 1of
that article has been extended .
TheCommission considered itunnecessary toconsult theother Member
States under theterms ofArticle 2(3)oftheCouncil Decision of21March 1962 .
-/•
(1)OJNo23,3April 1962 ,p720

1. Thewritten submission andtheexplanations given bytheFrench repre­
sentatives atthemeeting referred toabove ,disclosed thefollowing facts :
-thetexts submitted fortheOpinion oftheCommission contain provisions
implementing thenew general operating conditions oftheSNCF approved by -
decree No71-1024 of23December 1971 andArticle 16ofdecree F.o71–933 of
22November 1971 »amending thedecree of14November 1949 on "theooordimt ion
endharmonization ofrail androad transport ;
-thetexts have atwo-fold object ,namely :toprovide theSNCF with atariff
system suitable fortherunning ofanindependent business which gained its
autonomy asaresult ofthereform embodied inthetext oftheSupplement of
27January 1971 totheAgreement of31August 1937 ?andtoensure equality of
treatment between thethree modes ofinland transport asregards access tothe
market ;
-those considerations have ledtheFrench Government toconsider thepossibility
ofapplying abasic orreference tariff generally toallgoods transported by
theSNCF ,exceptECSC products ,forwhich compulsory rates areretained ;
-duetodifferences inthetariffing range ofthetkree modes ofinland trans­
port ,and tothedifficulty inmaking arrangements forthepublication of
tariffs forroad ,andwaterway traffic atpresent untariffed ;theFrench Govern­
ment hashadtoexempt theSNCF from theobligation topublish certain transport
rates and charges ;
-thearrangements proposed under themeasures contained inthetwodrafts in
question areprovisional ;
-themaximum spread ofthetariff brackets oftheSNCF which under Article 11(l)
ofitsgeneral operating conditions ,shall notexceed themaximum difference
fixed bytheMinister ofTransport fortheother competitive modes oftransport
andforthesame category ofgoods ,would appear tobe23i°inrespect ofall
SNCF tariffs ,even incases where theother competitive modes oftransport are
notsubject totariffing#

-3-
II.
Pursuant toArticle 2oftheCouncil Decision of21March 1962 the
Commission hasonthebasis ofgeneral guidelines adopted "bytheCommunity
institutions asregards tariff policy ,issued thefollowing opinion :
2. Therules forthepublication ofrates andcharges laid down inthe
twodrafts unter consideration inrespect ofthethree modes oftransport and
theeasing ofregulations asregards private contracts entered irrti )subject to
theSNCF compulsory tariffing ,where theSNCF isincompetition with atrans­
porter whose mode oftransport isnot subject toanycompulsory tariff are
undeniably directed towards theharmonization ofconditions ofcompetition
with regard totariffs .
However ,therange ofthemeasures provided forbytheFrench Govern­
ment isnotfully inconcordance with theprinciples defined intheCouncil
Agreement of22June 1965 both asregards theextent towhich compulsory tarif­
fing andthereference tariffs should apply tothedifferent modes ®ftransport
and asregards theextent ofpublication .
Onthis last point theCommission notes that while theFrench Govern­
ment isproposing toexempt theSNCF from theobligation topublish certain
transport rates andcharges ,theCouncil Agreement of22June 1965 lays down
that allrates andcharges ,even where there arenotariffs ,relative totransport
over adietanoe ofmore than 50kilometers ,shall ,without exception ,bepublished .
»
The Commission draws attention tothe comments itmade inthat respect in
itsOpinion of29January 1971 (l)on "thenewoperating articles andconditions of
the SNCF .
Moreover theCommission points outthat theproposed exemptions aremore
extensive than those onwhich itwas called upon the comment inthat Opinion ,and
that they oreate anexception ,inthat they apply equally toSNCF transport which ,
inthefield ofinternational ,road transport ,issubject totariffing andtopubli
cation without exception .
(l)0JNoL32,9February 1971 »P19

-4-
3.Asregardsconditionsunderwhichroadtransportundertakingareautho­
rizedtofixpricesoutsidetariff "brackets,theCommissionpointedout,inits
recommendation of26May1971theamendementofthedecreeof14November1949(1/
onthecoordination andharmonization ofrailandroadtransport,thatitcouldonly
appraisethetariffsystemapplicabletoroadtransportuponbeingconsultedon
therulesforfixingandpublishingtheappropriateratesandcharges.
Astheproposedmeasuresonlyrelatetorulesofpublication ,theCommis­
sionthereforeabidesbyitspreviousstatementasregardsrulesforthefixing
ofratesandchargesoutsidetariffbrackets.
4.TheCommissiontakesnoteofthestatements madebytherepresentatives
oftheFrenchGovernmenttotheeffectthatthesystemproposedinthetwodrafts
submittedforconsideration isonlyatransitorystepinthemovetowardsthesub­
sequentharmonization ofthetariffsystemsrelatingtoallinlandtransport.
Undertheseconditionsandsubjecttothecommentsmadeabove,theCommis­
sionissuesafavourableopiniononthedraftsinquestion.
5.TheCommissionshallinformtheotherMemberStatesofthisOpinion.
DoneatBrussels,28February1973
FortheCommission
ThePresident
(s)Francois-Xavier ORTOLI
(l)OJNoL134,28June1971,P2.