WRITTEN QUESTION E-0132/03

by Fiorella Ghilardotti (PSE)and Giovanni Pittella (PSE) to the Commission

(28 January 2003)

Subject: Resumption of the train service between Brussels and Milan

The train service between Brussels and Milan has been cancelled. This decision is causing serious inconvenience to those people from Belgium, Luxembourg or France wanting to travel to Italy and in particular Italians living in central and northern Europe.

The decision is clearly at odds with EU transport policy which is aimed at developing the major communications routes and is also a serious obstacle to tourism and education for the many children of Italians living abroad and studying in Milan.

What is the European Commission's position on this matter and what measures does it intend to take to secure the resumption of this service in full, or at least on a weekly basis?

Joint answerto Written Questions E-0132/03 and E-0252/03given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(27 February 2003)

The Commission is aware that the Brussels-Milan train service was discontinued with effect from 15 December 2002. The Commission regrets the reduction in international services which may be decided upon by the railway undertakings concerned, although it recognises that they are entitled to seek to optimise their organisation, including by not losing money on this kind of service, as required by Article 5 of Directive 91/441(1).

According to the information supplied to the Commission, this service was not cost-effective for the five undertakings concerned.

The Commission would nevertheless like to point out that, if the main reason for discontinuing the service is financial, Regulation 1191/69(2) allows the competent national authorities of the Member States to conclude a public service contract with a railway undertaking to operate train services on routes which would not be cost-effective without financial support from the public authorities.

The Commission intends to present a proposal for a regulation in 2003 on the rights and obligations of passengers in international rail traffic which would, moreover, contain provisions concerning the consultation of passengers by railway undertakings in cases of major changes to the services offered. The Commission will also present a proposal for a directive to enable railway undertakings to become more competitive by facilitating access to the market in international passenger services. The many questions raised following the discontinuation of this train service and the announcement that many other international services will be discontinued will be taken into account when these legal instruments are drawn up, as discontinuing services will certainly not contribute to achieving one of the objectives of the common transport policy, which is to maintain and even increase the modal share of rail in transport as a whole.

(1) Council Directive 91/440/EEC of 29 July 1991 on the development of the Community's railways OJ L 237, 24.8.1991.

(2) Council Regulation (EEC) No 1191/69 of 26 June 1969 on action by Member States concerning the obligation inherent in the concept of a public service in transport by rail, road and inland waterway OJ L 156, 28.6.1969.