ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (82)848
Vol.1982/0258

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Conformément aurèglement (CEE, Euratom) n°354/83 duConseil du1erfévrier 1983
concernant l'ouverture aupublic desarchives historiques delaCommunauté économique
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p.1),telquemodifié par lerèglement (CE, Euratom) n°1700/2003 du22septembre 2003
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Inaccordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No354/83 of1February 1983
concerning theopening tothepublic ofthehistorical archives oftheEuropean Economic
Community andtheEuropean Atomic Energy Community (OJL43,15.2.1983, p.1),as
amended byRegulation (EC, Euratom) No1700/2003 of22September 2003 (OJL243,
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filehave been declassified inconformity with Article 5oftheaforementioned regulation.
InÜbereinstimmung mitderVerordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr.354/83 desRates vom 1.
Februar 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft undderEuropäischen Atomgemeinschaft (ABI. L43vom 15.2.1983,
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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(82)848final.
Brussels.14December1982.
PROGRESS REPORTFROMTHECOMMISSION TOTHECOUNCIL
ONTHECOMMISSION 'SWORKINTHEFIELDOF
INTERNATIONAL RAILWAYCOOPERATION
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COM(82)8^+8final.

1.TheCouncil ,atitsmeeting of10June 1982 ,took note oftheCommission
Action Programme forinternational railway cooperation (1).TheCouncil
invited theCommission tocontinue with itswork andpresent ,assoon
aspossible ,definitive proposals topromote closer international
railway cooperation .
A)Measures announced for the end of1982
2.Actions have been undertaken inthefollowing areas :
2.1 .Improved training andmotivation ofrailway staff
Aprogramme ontraining andsensibilization ofrailway staff (language
courses ,specialized seminars ,staff exchanges )will beelaborated with
railway andtrade union experts .
Itisenvisaged tolaydown this programme before theendof1983 .
2.2.Frontier Controls
On16April 1982 ,theCommission transmitted totheCouncil aproposal
onfacilitation offormalities andcontrols forfreight transport between
Member States(2 ).Theprovisions ofthis proposal dealt with theorganisation
ofphysical controls andtheadministrative formalities foralltransport
modes ,including railways .Theproposal isontheTransport Council 's
Agenda for16December 1982 .
2.3.Establishment ofahigh quality passenger transport network
TheCommission will adopt inthenear future arecommendation tothe
railway undertakings that they preuare areport onthis subject byMay
19*Member States areinvited tosupport ,through their national railway
undertakings ,theCommission 'sinitiative .
(1)Doc.C0M(82 )237-Final of7May,1982 .
(2)O.J. C127of18May ,1982 .

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2.4.Commercial AutonomyofRailwayUndertakings intheManagementof
International PassengerandLuggageTransport
I
3.TheCommissionwill,beforetheendof1982,proposeaCouncilDecision
forthecommercial managementofrailways,particularly forpricing.
TheproposalshallalsoprovidethatRailwayswillbeobligedtoattain
optimalfinancialresultsforinternational passengertraffic.
ThisDecisionwillpermittheextensionofcommercialpracticesto
international passengerservices,practiceswhichtheyalreadyapply
totheirinternational freighttraffic.

3
B)Measuresenvisagedforthefirstsixmonthsof1983
3.TheCommissionhasalreadytakencertaininitiatives inthefollowing
areas:-
3.1.Legalobstaclestocooperation
TheCommissionwillpresentareporttotheCouncilonthebasisofwork
undertaken bytheGroupofTenandastudycarriedoutontheCommission's
behalf.
3.2.Harmonisation oftariffreductionsgivenonsocialgrounds
On19October1982,theCommissionaddressedtoNationalGovernments
aresume(drawnupbytherailways)ofreductions,bothsocialandcommercial,
giventocertaincategoriesofuser.
Amultilateral meetingwasheldonfor3December1982,duringwhich
therewasafirstexchangeofviewsonthepossibilities forharmonizing
andsimplifyingreductionsgiventocertaincategoriesofuserinintra-
Communitytraffic.
3.3.Internalobstaclestofrontiercrossings
TheCommissionhasundertakenpreparatory workinthisarea(working
documentshavebeenprepared).ACommissionrecommendation willbemade
torailwayundertakings induecourse.
3.4.Technicalconditionsoffreightoperation
AmeetingwithrailwayexpertsisenvisagedforMarch1983.

4
3.5.Commercial ManagementofInternational FreightandPassengerTraffic
TheCommission'sServicesdrewupatthebeginningofOctober,two
workingpapersfordiscussionwiththerailwayswiththeobjective
topromotemeasuresfor:-
-commonmarketingservices,
-international pricingsystems,forbothfreightandpassengers,
independent ofnationaltariffsystems.
Twodraftrecommendations ,addressedtotherailways,willbepresented
totheCouncilbeforeJuly1983.
•••/àà

5
3.6.CombinedTransport
3.6.1.Interunit
Aninternational Companyfortransportbyroad/rail(INTERUNIT)
wasestablished on14October1982.Thisdevelopment hadbeenenvisaged
intheCommission'sActionProgrammeonrailwaycooperation .
INTERUNIThassubmitteditsstatutefortheCommission'sopinionasto
itsconformitywithCommunityrulesoncompetition .TheStatuteis
currentlyunderexamination byCommissionofficials.Assoonas
thisexaminationisfinishedandprovidingtheopinionisfavourable
theCommissionwilltransmitproposalstotheCouncilfortheCompany's
activitiestopassrapidlyfromastudytoanoperational phase.
3.6.2.CombinedTransportTarifs
TheCommissionhasstartedstudiesonpreparingspecificmeasuresto
betteradaptCombinedTransportTarifstotheinternational transport
market.
Proposalswillbesubmittedinthefirstsixmonthsof1983.
3.6.3.International Information Centre
TheActionProgrammeonlyprovidesforacentralized computersystem
forcontainermovements.Preliminarystudiesrevealthepossibilities
andbenefitsofsuchasystemforallfreightmovements.The
proposalstobesubmittedwillthereforeincorporateallfreightrail
movements .
3.6.4.Networkoflinksbetweenrailwaysandtranshipment centres
Studiesareunderway.INTERUNITwillprobablybeconsultedtoprovide
theinformation available.

IMPLEMENTATION OFCOUNCILDECISIONS
(1)4.CouncilDecisionof19July1982onthefixingofpricesfor
International TransportofGoodsbyRail
Byitsletterof29.10.1982,theCommission drewtheattentionofthe
Governments totheprovisions ofArticle9oftheDecisionunderreference
whichstipulatesthat"theMemberStatesadoptbefore1January1983,and
afterconsultation oftheCommission,thenecessary measuresforthe
executionofthepresentDecision".
By26November,1982,theCommission hadreceivedonlyonerequestfor
consultation •
TheCommission considersthattheelimination ofpossiblelegalobstacles
inthepricingfieldandauthorisation forrailwaystopursuetheircommon
interest (Article5oftheDecision)areprerequisites onothercommercial
measuresinthedevelopment oftherailways.
(1)OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities No.L234/5of9.8.1982.

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D)OTHERWORK
5.OpinionoftheCommittee (Art.83)onthepossibilities foramore
commercial management ofrailways
TheCommission,on19March,1979,chargedtheConsultative Committee
onTransporttoexaminethepossibility ofmakingthemanagementof
railwaysmorecommercial .
ThedraftopiniondrawnupbytheGroupDEHAECKhasalreadybeen
examinedtwicebythePlenaryCommittee,thelastoccasion20October,
1982,buthasnotyetbeenadoptedbecauseofthedivergentpositionsof
certainexperts(governmental ,hauliersandunions).
Itsadoptionbythenormalwrittenprocedureiscurrentlyunderwaybut
buttheoutcomeisuncertain.
6.Studyofcommercialstructuresofrailwaysfortheinternational transport
ofgoods
On25November,1982theCommission'sservicesreceivedastudy,carried
outbyprivateconsultants (SEMA).Thereportprovidesacritical
analysisofthecurrentcommercialstructuresofrailways.
Inthethirdpart,acertainnumberofgeneralactionswhichconcernboth
governments andrailwaysareproposed.Inparticular,attentionisdrawn
tothefactthatrailways,controlledbyStatesperformingactivities
whichareincompetitionwithothermodesoftransport,"arenearlyall,
tosomedegreeorother,disadvantaged bytheirinstitutional framework,
whichischaracterized byalackofclarityastotheirresponsibility .
TheCommissionenvisagestodiffusethisstudytogovernments andrailways
inJanuary.TheCommissionwillcertainlypreparecertainactionsbased
ontheconclusions ofthisstudy.

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7.Studyonobstaclestothedevelopment ofrailwaycooperation
TheCommissionrequestedaprivateconsultant (UniversityofParis
IX-Dauphine )toexaminelegalobstacles,outsidethecommercialfield,
toclosercooperation ,aswellasotherpossibilities ofaction.
Thefinalreportwasreceivedon25November1982.
ThereportconcludedthattheStateasownerexercizedcontroloverthe
railways'actionsandanylegalobstaclesarisingfromthisdefacto
situationwouldonlybeovercomebyaclosecollaboration andagreement
betweentheundertakings andtheStates.
Thepossibilityforclosercooperation onjointpurchasingappears
limited.Thereportdoeshoweverseeopportunities fordevelopment of
commonresearchprogrammes.
Thereport'sconclusions ,whichwillbetakenintoaccountinfuture
proposalsoncooperation,willbecommunicated totherailwaysand
MemberGovernments .

9
8.Studyonenergyconservation inrailways
FollowingtheEuropeanParliament'sResolutionofOctober1981,the
CommissioninvitedtheGroupofTenRailwaystoexaminetheproblems
ofenergyconservation byrailways.
Areporthasnowbeenprepared.Thereportexaminesthepossibility
ofenergyconservation ,therailways'potentialtoconserveenergyas
wellasresearchintodevelopment anddemonstration oftherailways
rationaluseofenergy.
Thisreport,togetherwiththosecarriedoutforroadandinland
waterways,shouldprovidetheCommissionwiththebasicelementsto
prepareaCommunication totheCouncilonmeasurestobeundertaken
forarationaluseofenergyintransport.

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E)Concluding Remarks
9.Itcanbeseenfromthisintermediary reportthattheCommissionis
continuously attemptingtoachieveamarkedimprovement ininternational
railwaycooperation .
Itisonlybeginningtoimplementtheactionprogrammeenvisaged:the
measurestakenthisyearrepresentonlythefirststep.
Themostimportantpartsoftheprogrammewillbeimplemented nextyear.
Forthisactiontobeeffectiveitisindispensable thattheCounciland
theMemberStatessupportthejointactionsoftheCommission andthe
raiIways.
Thissupportshouldincludeboththeadoptionofallnecessarymeasures
topromotecooperation andapoliticalappreciation ofthisissueand
requiredsolutions.