EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 10.8.2016 COM(2016) 506 final 2013/0297(COD) COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION

TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT



pursuant to Article 294(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union



concerning the position of the Council on the adoption of a Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 91/2003 on rail transport statistics, as regards the collection of data on goods, passengers and accidents (Text with EEA relevance)



2013/0297 (COD) COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION

TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT



pursuant to Article 294(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union



concerning the position of the Council on the adoption of a Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 91/2003 on rail transport statistics, as regards the collection of data on goods, passengers and accidents (Text with EEA relevance) 1.Background Date of transmission of the proposal to the European Parliament and to the Council COM(2013) 611– 2013/297(COD) 30 August 2013 Date of the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee: NA Date of the position of the European Parliament, first reading: 11 March 2014 Date of transmission of the amended proposal: NA Date of adoption of the position of the Council: 18 July 2016 2.Objective of the proposal from the Commission The aim of the Commission’s proposal is to modify Regulation (EC) No 91/2003 in order to update, simplify and optimise the existing legal framework for European statistics on rail transport and to align it with the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), as far as delegated and implementing powers is concerned. The proposed Regulation would empower the Commission to adopt delegated acts for the purpose of adapting the definitions and thresholds for reporting, amending the content of the Annexes, and specifying the information to be supplied. It would also confer implementing powers on the Commission with a view to ensuring uniform conditions as regards the specification of information to be supplied for producing the reports on the quality and comparability of the results, in accordance with the examination procedure laid down in Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011. 3.Comments on the position of the Council 3.1General comments The position of the Council reflects on the one hand the agreement reached between the Council, the European Parliament Transport and Tourism Committee and the Commission in the tripartite discussions of 24 May 2016 and, on the other hand, the new Inter-Institutional Agreement on Better law-making of 13 April 2016. The main issue blocking the file was reaching an understanding with the European Parliament on the formalisation of the sharing of data between Eurostat, the European Railway Agency (ERA) and the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) through bilateral Memoranda of Understanding (MoU). A consensus was eventually reached with the signature of two MoU, one between Eurostat and DG MOVE and one between Eurostat and ERA. These gave the European Parliament the guarantee that the data it requested will be processed and made available. The text does not contain any explicit reference to MoUs, but a recital refers to “appropriate cooperation agreements on statistical activities”. The Council adopted its position at first reading on 18 July 2016. The Council’s position is acceptable for the Commission. 3.2Comments on the amendments adopted by the European Parliament