Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the 'Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on "Trans-European Rail-Freight Freeways"` (98/C 180/02)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on Trans-European Rail-Freight Freeways ();

having regard to the decision taken by the Commission on 5 June 1997, under the first paragraph of Article 198c of the Treaty establishing the European Community, to consult it on the matter;

having regard to the decision of 17 September 1997 by its Bureau to direct Commission 3 for Transport and Communications Networks to draw up the relevant opinion;

having regard to the draft opinion (CdR 346/97 rev.) adopted by Commission 3 on 13 November 1997 (rapporteur: Mr Panettoni);

whereas Directive 91/440/EEC () introduced, for the first time in Community law, the right of 'access to the railway infrastructure` of the Community;

whereas Directives 95/18/EC () and 95/19/EC () specified the requirements for companies wishing to obtain licences, make charges and allocate train paths;

having regard to the White Paper on revitalizing railways and the outcome of the discussions at the European Transport Council (October 1996);

whereas the Commission has set up a High Level Group of representatives of the transport ministers to take forward the idea of creating rail freeways;

whereas freight transport within the EU entails significant indirect costs for local and regional authorities such as congestion, pollution and accidents;

whereas modes of transport with higher external costs are generally more attractive to users than those which offer real social benefits;

whereas the above-mentioned problems can, in part, be mitigated by encouraging a switch from road to rail transport, or at least to combined transport;

whereas if rail transport is once again to be competitive, many changes and structural modifications are necessary in the rail system;

whereas the document in question proposes gradual, 'voluntary` implementation of the provisions of Directive 91/440/EEC, mentioned above, by setting up an initial freight freeway network,

adopted the following opinion at its 22nd plenary session of 12 and 13 March 1998 (meeting of 12 March).

1. General comments

1.1. The Committee of the Regions generally agrees with setting up freight freeways as an attempt to encourage and improve rail transport, at the same time seeking to reduce freight transport by road or, at least, to increase the use of combined transport.

1.2. This agreement is underscored by the fact that developing rail transport also serves to:

a) reduce pollution by exhaust gases, particularly in regions and districts affected by major road arteries; and

b) cut road-traffic congestion, specifically in regions and districts containing natural barriers (such as the Alps) or border areas.

1.3. Furthermore, operating freight freeways through 'One-Stop-Shops` (OSS) simplifies access to infrastructures by introducing simple, transparent payment systems and the speedy allocation of train paths: all features which, if properly implemented, should encourage rail transport and open the infrastructures to competition, thereby offering enabling more efficient services that provide standards closer to those for road transport and at lower cost.

2. Conclusions

2.1. The Committee feels that if these objectives are to be met and if the freeway network is to be encouraged, regional and local authorities must be involved at both the preparatory stage, formulating proposals and identifying new routes, and at the implementation stage. Regional and local authorities have more direct knowledge of local and non-local transport flows.

2.2. In the Committee's view, all rail undertakings should have access to freight freeways, in line with the principles laid down in Directive 95/18/EC governing the issuing of licences to railway undertakings planning to provide the services laid down in Article 10 of Directive 91/440/EEC.

2.3. During this experimental and voluntary phase, the rules governing freight freeways should apply only to established corridors and the relevant intermediate stations.

2.4. In the Committee's view, until Directive 91/440/EEC is fully implemented, inflows and outflows along these corridors should continue to be regulated by the current legislation and practices of the individual Member States.

2.5. The planned OSS should be a telematic, non-bureaucratic body completely independent of the infrastructure manager and of the transport company.

2.6. In order to ensure that the freight freeways offer an efficient and competitive service, national governments, regional and local authorities, and infrastructure and service managers must work jointly to meet a series of basic conditions, such as:

a) the abolition or reduction of internal border controls - where they are necessary, they should be carried out at the marshalling yards or at the place of dispatch/destination;

b) mutual recognition of checks made in the countries where the journey began;

c) harmonization of the various technical and structural characteristics within the EU in order to facilitate interoperability (use of the same locomotives, staff and signalling systems);

d) the creation, during the launch phase of the network, of special structures to assist trains using the freeway system.

2.7. The Committee would have called for the launch phase to begin as early as January 1998. A management model integrating the requirements of major growth in freight transport with the interests of passenger transport by rail must be devised when freight freeways are set up and operated.

Brussels, 12 March 1998.

The Chairman of the Committee of the Regions

Manfred DAMMEYER

() COM(97) 242 final.

() OJ L 237, 24.8.1991, p. 25.

() OJ L 143, 27.6.1995, p. 70.

() OJ L 143, 27.6.1995, p. 75.