Annual report 2007.
Date: 2008-08-13
Institutions: European Union Agency for Railways
Subjects: European Union Agency for Railways, activity report

european railway agency
Annual Report 2007

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

Design and typeset 
Kisseler Medienproduktion

Photographs
Cover, pages 6, 18, 21, 22, 25-27, 30, 32-33, 
36-40, 43, 44, 50: Carl Cordonnier, Dailylife
Pages 2, 7-11, 14-17, 29: European Railway Agency  

Annual Report 2007
52 pages
21 x 29.7 cm

Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications 
of the European Communities, 2008

ISBN 978-92-9205-001-6

© european railway agency, 2008

Reproduction is authorised provided 
the source is acknowledged.

European Railway Agency
160 Boulevard Harpignies
BP 20392
FR 59307 Valenciennes Cedex
Tel.: +33 (0) 3 27 09 65 00
Fax: +33 (0) 3 27 33 40 65
www.era.europa.eu

PRINTED IN BELGIUM

Printed on recycled paper that has been 
awarded the EU eco-label for graphic paper. 
(http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel)

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2

Table of contents

List of acronyms 

Part a - the agency in 2007

Foreword by the Chairman of the Administrative Board

Milestones and key messages of the Executive Director

The Agency’s Mission and Vision

Administrative Board

Summary of Board Decisions

Deliverables and core-business results by activity

Part B - internaL controL

Part c - suPPort services 

Human Resources

Finance, Accounting and Procurement

Infrastructure services at ERA

Staff Committee 

Part D - List of annexes

Annex 1: Composition of the Administrative Board on 31 December 2007

Annex 2: ERA Organisational Chart

Annex 3: Declaration of Assurance by the Authorizing officer

Annex 4: Financial reports 2007

4-5

6-29

7

8-9

10

11

12

13-29

30-31

32-39

33-35

36

37

38-39

40-47

41-42

43

44

45-51

3

Contents

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

List of acronyms A - I

aasc 

aeif

arsenal

Assembly of Agency Staff Committee

European Association for Railway Interoperability

Private Company – Austrian Research Centre

attica (consulting)

Private Company

BP 

cer

Basic Parameter

Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies

cetren (notified Body)

Private Company 

cr ene tsi

Conventional Rail System Energy, Technical Specification for Interoperability 

cr tsi 

csis

csms 

csts 

Conventional Rail, Technical Specification for Interoperability

Common Safety Indicators 

Common Safety Methods

Common Safety Targets

Der-committee 

Developing European Railways-Committee

Dg tren

Dream 

Directorate General - Transport

Database for railway economic analysis management

eBc (notified Body)

Eisenbahn Cert. (Railway Certification)

ecoeval 

eim

erP 

ertms

Economic Evaluation 

European Rail Infrastructure Managers

Enterprise Resource Planning

European Rail Traffic Management System

ertms ccB

European Rail Traffic Management System Change Control Board

esg 

eso

etcs

eu

Economic Survey Group

European Standardisation Bodies

European Train Control System

European Union

eurostat

European Statistics Office

hr

ics

iDB

Human Resources

Internal Control Standards

Interoperability Documents Database

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List of acronyms 

4

List of acronyms K - Z

it 

Information Technology

Kema (notified Body)

Private Company 

msP

mss

nB 

Monitoring of Safety Performance

Member States

Notified Body

nB(-)rail

European Committee Group : coordination Group between Notified Bodies Rail

niBs 

nrvs 

nsas  

nvr 

osJD

otif

National Investigation Bodies

National Reference Values

National Safety Authorities 

National Vehicle Register

Organisation for Railway Cooperation

Organisation for International Carriage per Rail

raiLPag

Railway Project Appraisal Guidelines

rfu

ric

Recommendation for Use 

Regulamento Internazionale Carozze

rina (notified Body)

Private Company

Register of Rolling Stock

Rolling Stock

Safety Certification and Authorisation

Systems Applications and Products 

Service Level Agreement

System Requirements Specification 

Trans European Network 2006

Technical Specifications for Interoperability

Technical Specifications for Interoperability Control Command  Signalling 

International Association for Public Transport 

Union of European Railway Industries

Working Party

Working Party Locomotives

Working Party Passengers

rrs 

rst

safecert

saP software

sLa 

srs 

ten2006

tsi 

tsi ccs

uitP

unife

WP

WP Loc 

WP Pas

5

List of acronyms

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Part a – the agency in 2007

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Part A – The Agency in 2007 

Foreword by the Chairman 
of the Administrative Board 

Michael Harting, Chairman of the Administrative Board

In 2007 it was my pleasure to take over Chairman-

ship  of  the  Administrative  Board  from  my  prede-

cessor Mr Reino Lampinen.  Under his stewardship 

the Agency has matured into one of the essential 

actors at the heart of the European Railway arena 

and the continuing demand from the sector actors 

and  opinion  formers  for  the  Agency  to  assume 

new roles gives me confidence both in the quality 

of its current output and its future role. It is parti-

cularly encouraging to also note that the delivery 

of the required outputs in 2007 has been matched 

by an increasing maturity and strength of adminis-

tration and internal control.

This I believe gives the Agency a sound footing to 

continue  under  my  chairmanship  into  2008  and 

2009  with  a  series  of  very  important  recommen-

dations  in  respect  of  matters  at  the  heart  of  the 

interoperability and safety directives and new initi-

atives  into  the  field  of  Cross  Acceptance,  ERTMS 

and  Driver  Licencing  whilst  at  the  same  time 

effecting  a  transfer  to  its  new  office  building  in 

Valenciennes.

I am confident that, as one of the most important 

places  where  all  political  and  economic  actors  in 

the railway sector can meet in an open and trans-

parent manner, the Agency will succeed in its core 

objective  of  making  a  significant  contribution  to 

the implementation of the Community legislation 

aimed at improving the competitive position of the 

railway sector.  I will, along with all my colleagues 

on  the  Administrative  Board,  continue  to  make 

our  best  efforts  to  facilitate  the  success  of  the 

Agency.
Agency.

7

Foreword

Michael Harting

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

Milestones and key messages  
of the Executive Director

The  year  2007  has  been  characterised  by  three 

saw the delivery of the draft of the conventional TSI 

features. On the one hand I am pleased to report 

Infrastructure,  the  first  Common  Safety  Method, 

that after a period of establishment the Agency in 

the  Intermediate  Report  on  the  TSI  Locomotives 

2007  reached  a  size  and  a  level  of  maturity  and 

and  Passenger  Carriages,  the  draft  methodology 

competence  that  allowed  it  to  make  substantial 

for setting Common Safety Targets, the creation of 

and  timely  progress  with  its  operational  activities 

a Conformity Survey Group, the definition of the 

focused on the objective of contributing, on techni-

functional enhancements to be included in version 

cal matters, to the implementation of the Commu-

3 of the ETCS baseline and the establishment of a 

nity legislation aimed at improving the competitive 

number of registers and databases.

position  of  the  railway  sector.  In  particular  2007 

Marcel Verslype, Executive Director

The  Agency  also  further  established  its  role  as  a 

collaborator  at  the  heart  of  rail  system  manage-

ment  by  participating  in  such  activities  as  the 

ERTMS corridor steering group, OTIF, OSJD etc and 

the standardisation activities of CEN, CENELEC and 

ETSI. All of this was underpinned by robust econo-

mic  evaluation.  In  parallel,  recognising  that  every 

European administration has also a core responsi-

bility  to  respect  the  need  for  sound  processes  of 

administration,  management  and  internal  cont-

rol, I am equally pleased to report that 2007 saw 

the  Agency’s  management  processes  reaching 

maturity.

Particular attention was paid to procurement and 

internal  controls  and  it  also  gives  me  pleasure  to 

report that, as was confirmed by the IAS follow-up 

audit  report  early  in  2008,  the  majority  of  the 

early teething troubles and weaknesses identified 

in  audits  during  2006  were  closed  out  in  2007 

and that the small number remaining are well on 

course for closure in 2008.

However  we  now  live  in  a  rapidly  changing  rail 

sector  and  in  2007  it  became  clear  that  the  role 

of the Agency is rapidly evolving. With the “open 

mandate”  giving  the  Agency  the  task  of  filling 

Milestones and key messages

8

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Part A – The Agency in 2007 

open  points  in  the  TSIS  and  dealing  with  error 

corrections,  the  Agency’s  activities  took  on,  in 

2007 a broader dimension. 

The development of proposals for amendments to 

the  directives  and  Agency  regulation  promise  to 

further  widen  the  scope  of  the  Agency’s  activity 

by giving it an important future role in cross accep-

tance  and  enhancing  the  scope  of  the  Agency’s 

involvement  in  the  management  of  registers  and 

databases  including  the  creation  of  a  register  of 

vehicle types.  

Whilst this continuing enhancement of the scope 

of the Agency’s activities presents new and difficult 

challenges (not the least of which is the acquisition 

of expertise in a growing rail sector) it demonstra-

tes a significant level of confidence in the Agency 

and its staff. 

As the only place where all the political and econo-

mic actors in the rail sector meet the Agency is well 

placed to be the forum where rail system problems 

are defined and resolved in a structured, inclusive 

and transparent manner and to take up the role of 

European rail System Authority. 

As a comparatively small non-executive organisa-

tion  we  are  very  dependent  upon  contributions 

from the sector stakeholders to enable us to meet 

our  objectives  and  in  this  context  I  would  like  to 

thank all our stakeholders (Member States, Safety 

Authorities,  Sector  Associations,  Social  Partners, 

passenger  and  freight  users)  for  their  continuing 

support and ongoing contribution to our work.

Marcel Verslype

9

Milestones and key messages

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

The Agency’s Mission and Vision

 Mission

 Vision

The  Agency’s  mission  is  to  prepare  new  and 

The  Agency  is  working  with  a  vision  to  contri-

updated  legislative  acts  for  adoption  by  the 

bute  to  the  creation  of  an  integrated  European 

Commission,  after  a  positive  opinion  from  the 

railway area where trains can run and be organi-

Committee  of  Member  States,  and  to  give  other 

sed  as  transport  services  freely,  safely,  effectively 

technical support to the Commission.

and without interruption. The objective is to allow 

The activities carried out by the Agency aim at:

the  rail  transport  sector  to  realise  its  inherent 

competitive advantages in relation to other trans-

port modes.

  Developing a common approach

to safety, safety regulation and 

accident investigation, in particular by 

harmonisation of safety assessment 

methods, safety targets and safety 

certification conditions;

Improving the interoperability of the 

European rail system by developing 

the conditions for the free and 

uninterrupted movement of trains 

through technical an operational 

harmonisation, including conditions 

for mutual acceptance of railway 

vehicles;

  Facilitating the exchange of 

information within the railway sector 

by networking with national bodies‚

providing registers and databases, 

issuing reports and giving guidance on 

the implementation of the regulatory 

framework.

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10

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Part A – The Agency in 2007 

Administrative Board

The  Administrative  Board  is  the  main  gover-

The Board is composed of four representatives of 

ning  body  of  the  Agency.  It  is  entrusted  with 

the  European  Commission  and  one  from  each  of 

the  necessary  powers  to  adopt  the  Agency’s 

the  Member  States.  Representatives  of  Norway 

budget  together  with  the  work  programme,  to 

and Iceland participate as members without voting 

approve internal rules, and to establish transparent 

rights along with six representatives from the rail-

working procedures.

way  sector  who  represent  railway  undertakings, 

infrastructure  managers,  railway  supply  industry, 

worker unions, passengers and freight customers.

11

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

Summary of Board Decisions

the administrative Board met three times in 2007. 

27 february 2007 

During its tenth meeting, the Administrative Board: 

  Approved the transfers of appropriations for the budget 2007

  Decided to adopt the statement of estimates 2008 by written procedure

  Decided to adopt the Annual Activity Report 2006 by written procedure

 Elected as chairman Mr Michael Harting and deputy-chairman Mr Janos Berenyi  

(mandate for three years)

19 June 2007

During its eleventh meeting, the Administrative Board: 

  Adopted the Multi-annual Staff Policy Plan for the Agency 

  Decided to modify the ERA establishment plan 2007 

  Gave its opinion on the ERA Annual Accounts 2006

31 october 2007 

During its twelfth meeting, the Administrative Board: 

  Adopted the Agency’s Work Programme 2008

  Adopted the Implementing rules to the ERA Financial Regulation 

  Approved the transfers of appropriations  2007 

  Appointed an interim accountant and an accountant as from 16 December 2007

in addition,

the Administrative Board adopted by written procedure the:

  2007 budget 

  statement of estimates 2008

  Annual report 2006

transfers of appropriations 2007 

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Summary of Board Decisions

12

 
 
Part A – The Agency in 2007 

Deliverables and core-business  
results by activity

 Safety

introduction

The  activities  of  the  Safety  Unit  of  the  Agency 

have their legal base in Directive 2004/49/EC (Rail-

way Safety Directive), complemented by provisions 

of Regulation (EC) 881/2004 (Agency Regulation). 

Mandates  from  the  Commission  specify  in  more 

detail the work that has to be carried out. In gene-

ral  the  activities  are  meeting  deadlines  and  have 

All work streams have reached their full “cruising 

speed”  with  25  working  group  meetings  and  31 

smaller group (task force) meetings during 2007. 

A  total  number  of  216  experts  from  sector  asso-

ciations and national bodies participated in these 

meetings.  The  staff  of  the  Safety  Unit  travelled 

almost 400 times from Valenciennes to Lille, where 

the Agency meetings are held.

delivered according to the Work Programme 2007. 

the main achievements during 2007 were:

 The first version of the database of safety documents became operational in May 2007 and 

is now available through the Agency website.

 The recommendation on the first set of Common Safety Methods was submitted to the 

European Commission.

 A draft recommendation on the methodology for setting Common Safety Targets was 

distributed for consultation.

 A task force on peer reviews was created among the safety authorities to facilitate mutual 

recognition of safety certificates; the first peer reviews will be organised in 2008.

 The first annual reports of national safety authorities arrived during the autumn and will 

form a major input to the Agency’s first biennial report on safety performance, expected in 

spring 2008.

 Criteria on the assessment of safety management systems were drafted and issued  

in 21 languages.

 A study on cross acceptance of Class 66 locomotives in different Member States was carried 

out and supported by a task force of national safety authorities.

 A draft protocol for the Agency’s communication with national authorities and bodies was 

prepared and submitted for consultations.

  Guidelines for notification and validation of national safety rules were published.

13

Deliverables and core-business results by activity

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

horizontal activities

network of national safety authorities

To  support  the  exchange  of  experiences  and  to 

harmonise  decision-making  criteria  among  natio-

nal safety authorities (NSA) the NSA network was 

convened 4 times during the year 2007. An extra 

meeting  was  organised  to  exchange  information 

between  the  NSAs  and  the  vice-president  of  the 

The aim of the NSA task force on cross acceptance 

was to consider the findings of the Agency’s study 

on  the  examination  of  potential  models  of  good 

practice in the cross acceptance of Class 66 loco-

motives,  to  improve  and  facilitate  the  exchange 

of  information  and  to  provide  advice  for  further 

activities  of  the  Agency  on  cross  acceptance  of 

rolling stock.

European Commission, Mr. Barrot. 

The  task  force  on  peer  reviews  developed  and 

The  character  of  the  NSA  network  meetings  has 

changed gradually from a purely informative nature 

agreed on a draft manual to be used in pilot peer 

reviews in the first half of 2008. 

to a more active exchange of experiences and best 

These pilot peer reviews will focus on the practice 

practices. The NSA network agreed, in addition to 

of different NSAs concerning the applied processes 

the “ERTMS focus group” established in 2006, to 

and  criteria  to  grant  part  A  certifications  (accep-

set up:

tance of the railway undertakings’ safety manage-

  A task force on cross acceptance

  A task force on peer reviews

  A task force on annual reports

ment system).

The  task  force  on  annual  reports  met  2  times  in 

2007 and proposed a template, a guideline and a 

Common Safety Indicators worksheet as a tool for 

drafting the annual reports of the NSAs. 

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14

Part A – The Agency in 2007 

The ERTMS focus group has the objective of incor-

porating the return of the NSA experience in the 

acceptance  of  ERTMS.  During  its  5  meetings  in 

2007 the group exchanged experiences on safety 

related open points in the relevant technical speci-

fication  for  interoperability  such  as    operational 

rules, notification of bodies and GSM-R. 

A  first  exchange  of  experiences  and  information 

between NSAs and the corresponding network of 

investigation bodies was organised. To improve the 

exchange  of  experiences  several  visits  of  project 

officers  of  the  Agency  to  NSAs  and  visits  from 

NSAs to the Agency took place in 2007.

Public database of safety documents

In line with Article 11 of Regulation (EC) 881/2004 

the Agency is establishing step-by-step a publicly 

accessible  database  of  safety  related  documents, 

such  as  licences,  safety  certificates,  investigation 

reports and national safety rules. 

After intensive testing by Agency staff and external 

collaborators final adjustments were carried out by 

the  contracted  development  company  and  from 

May 2007 the first fully operational version of this 

databank was made available to the public. 

Data on accidents and licence information already 

published  on  the  Agency  website  were  verified 

and, where possible, transferred to the new data-

base. This data transfer process will be completed in 

2008 along with further database improvements.

During  2007  270  accidents,  87  safety  certifica-

tes, 48 licences and 25 national safety rules were 

recorded in the database.

15

Deliverables and core-business results by activity

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

national safety rules and 
technical opinions

The report and recommendations to the Commis-

sion  on  the  technical  examination  of  national 

safety rules were submitted at the end of 2006. In 

spring  2007  these  documents  were  presented  to 

the Article 21 Committee for discussion. Based on 

the  Agency’s  recommendations,  the  Commission 

accepted two notifications, requested seven coun-

tries  to  clarify  the  content  of  their  notifications, 

and required fifteen Member States to renew their 

notifications.

The  two  accepted  notifications  and,  where 

available, the text of the rules, have been registe-

red to the Agency’s database. To provide guidance 

for the Member States on the notification of their 

national  safety  rules,  the  team  “National  Safety 

Rules and Technical Opinions” published the follo-

wing documents: “Guideline for Member States on 

the Notification of National Safety Rules, “Guide-

line for the Validation of the Notifications of Nati-

onal  Safety  Rules”,  and  a  “Note  on  Commonali-

ties and Differences between National Safety Rules 

and National Technical Rules”. The documents are 

available on the Agency website.

A  Communication  Protocol  for  the  competent 

national authorities and bodies concerning all the 

Agency’s tasks was developed and discussed with 

the  relevant  networks  and  committees.  It  will  be 

sent  to  the  Member  States  and  Norway  at  the 

beginning of 2008. A methodology for the exami-

nation of the national transposition of the Railway 

Safety Directive was developed. At the request of 

the Commission, a pilot project was carried out to 

Deliverables and core-business results by activity

16

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Part A – The Agency in 2007 

analyse the implementation of the Railway Safety 

At the request of the Commission, the team “Nati-

Directive to the Channel Tunnel Fixed Link.

onal Safety Rules and Technical Opinions” partici-

Article 8(3) of the Railway Safety Directive requires 

the  Agency  to  evaluate  the  way  in  which  natio-

nal safety rules are published and made available 

in the Member States, and to make recommenda-

tions  for  improving  the  accessibility  of  the  rules. 

The terms of reference describing the tasks and the 

pated in meetings of various working groups and 

committees for the transport of dangerous goods 

by  rail.  The  interactions  between  the  RID  regime 

and ERA tasks were analysed and agreement was 

reached on cooperation between the Agency and 

these working groups and committees. 

procedure  for  the  work  were  prepared.  A  tender 

The  team  assisted  the  Commission,  the  natio-

for a study to support the first phase this evalua-

nal  authorities  and  other  organizations  by  giving 

tion  was  launched  in  mid-2007  and  the  contract 

advice to questions and queries on national safety 

awarded  in  October.  The  report  will  be  delivered 

rules and notifications and by arranging meetings 

in May 2008. 

with representatives.

17

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

safety certification and authorisation

The  work  of  the  Safety  Certification  Team 

progressed  in  2007  in  line  with  the  manda-

tes*    issued  by  the  Commission.  The  first  part 

of  the  Common  Safety  Method  for  conformity 

assessment  has  been  published  in  May  2007 

and  was  made  available  on  the  ERA  website  in 

21 EU languages. 

It contains Safety Management System Assessment 

Criteria, which the national safety authorities will 

be able to use for the assessment of the applica-

tions  of  railway  undertakings  and  infra¬structure 

managers for a safety certificate/authorisation. In 

November an impact assessment was launched on 

the usability of the criteria.

The  Agency  was  requested  by  the  Commission 

to develop ideas for the standardisation of safety 

management systems (SMS). A survey on SMS best 

practice  in  the  railway  sector  all  over  the  world, 

as  well  as  in  other  safety  critical  industries,  was 

* Mandate to the European Railway 

Agency for the development of common 

harmonised requirements and common 

formats for application guidance 

documents; (Annex 4 to Commission 

Decision C(2006) 124 final of 09/II/2006)

Mandate to the European Railway Agency 

for the development of Common Safety 

Methods for conformity assessment with 

requirements in safety certificates and 

safety authorisations (Annex to Commission 

Decision C(2007) 250 final of 12/II/2007)

Deliverables and core-business results by activity

18

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Part A – The Agency in 2007 

published  in  March  2007  and  is  available  on  the 

ERA website. In July a paper on the possibility of a 

global  approach  to  safety  certification  within  the 

railway sector as a whole, based on the idea of the 

development of a European Norm on SMS design 

and  implementation,  was  published  (available  in 

English, French and German). 

All  this  work  was  done  in  cooperation  with  the 

Working  Group  on  Safety  Certification  and 

Authorisation, which met four times in 2007. The 

SafeCert Team has coordinated the Agency’s work 

on cross acceptance of rolling stock. 

common safety targets (csts) and 
common safety methods (csms) 

According  to  the  mandate  the  Agency  is  requi-

red  to  deliver  the  final  recommendation  for  the 

first set of CSM to the Commission not later than 

the 30 September 2007 (deadline defined by the 

respective mandate of the European Commission).

According  to  the  mandate  the  Agency  is  requi-

red  to  deliver  the  final  recommendation  for  the 

first set of CSTs to the Commission not later than 

30 September 2008.

common safety methods

The  main  tasks  were  the  commissioning  of  a 

In 

line  with 

the 

requirements  of  Directive 

research  study,  the  supervision  of  its  processing 

2004/49/EC and based on mandates issued by the  

and  the  organisation  of  a  Task  Force  under  the 

Commission,  the  Agency  aims  to  develop  CSTs 

Network of National Safety Authorities. The objec-

and CSMs: 

tive of the Task Force was to accompany the study 

as well as the Agency’s work on cross acceptance 

to ensure that the current level of  

in general. 

The results of the study and the Agency’s response 

are  available  on  the  Agency’s  website.  Finally, 

the  team  was  involved  in  the  preparation  of  the 

Peer Review among national safety authorities on 

safety certification procedures and the drafting of 

the peer review manual.

safety performance of railway systems  

at Member State level will be  

maintained (and, where reasonably  

practicable, improved) and

to assess the achievement of safety  

targets, safety levels or other safety  

requirements.

At the start of 2007 the Agency finalised the first 

draft  of  the  recommendation  on  the  1st  set  of 

CSM  (for  risk  assessment  and  evaluation).  After  

review  by  the  CSM  working  group,  the  recom-

mendation was sent for consultation to the social 

partners, to the members of the NSA network as 

well  as  to  the  social  partners  and  the  European 

Passengers Federation.

19

Deliverables and core-business results by activity

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   19

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

The  recommendation  on  the  1st  set  of  CSM  was 

the  technical  report  a  recommendation  to  the 

delivered  by  the  Agency  to  the  Commission  on 

Commission was drafted and approved during the 

6 December 2007 together with an accompanying 

December meeting of CST working group with the 

report  on  the  development  of  the  recommenda-

following remarks:

tion. The accompanying report details also mino-

rity  opinions  on  which  the  working  group  could 

the Italian NSA considered that the  

not  agree.  The  recommendation  and  the  report 

methodology should cover targets at  

are available on the Agency website. 

the level of causes of accidents instead  

In  relation  to  the  first  set  of  CSM  and  a  possible 

future  revision  the  Agency,  using  dedicated  task 

forces, started to elaborate complementary infor-

mation on: 

of at the level of the accidents

the criterion to decide if the  

performance of one member state is  

clearly unacceptable should be  

developed further.

the definition of and criteria for  

significant changes,

the identification of risk acceptance  

criteria to be used within explicit risk  

estimation and 

the development of the roles and  

responsibilities of assessment bodies.

In  December  2007  the  Agency  sent  the  recom-

mendation  on  “the  methodology  for  calculating 

and assessing achievement of NRVs and CSTs” to 

the NSAs of the Member States, to the social part-

ners  and  to  the  European  Passengers  Federation 

for consultation.

Once  the  recommendation  is  delivered  to  the 

In  addition  to  the  recommendation  the  Agency 

Commission the next steps of the activity will be 

continued  to  develop  a  guide  supporting  the 

to develop a proposal on the actual values of the 

implementation of the 1st set of CSM from 2008.

CSTs and NRVs, to be delivered in February 2009, 

common safety targets

and to reflect on the second set of CSTs and prio-

rity areas where safety needs to be further impro-

Following  the  concept  of  National  Reference 

ved.  These  reflections  will  primarily  be  based  on 

Values  (NRVs)  and  definitions  of  measuring  units 

data returned through the common safety indica-

for NRVs and CSTs in 2006, the Agency focused in 

tors for the years to come.

2007  the  activities  of  the  CST  working  group  on 

the  development  of  the  methodology  for  calcu-

lating  and  assessing  achievement  of  NRVs  and 

CSTs.  This  draft  methodology  was  published  in 

a  technical  report  in  September  2007.  Based  on 

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   20

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Deliverables and core-business results by activity

20

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Part A – The Agency in 2007 

reporting 

The Agency is required to deliver the final recom-

mendation of the Agency concerning the revision 

of Annex I of Directive 2004/49/EC not later than 

30 September 2008.

In  2007  the  Common  Safety  Indicators  Working 

Group  met  three  times.  The  work  on  the  defini-

tions  for  the  proposal  for  the  revision  to  Annex  I 

continued throughout 2007. At the end of 2007 all 

definitions were agreed within the working group. 

The  economic  indicators  were  further  developed 

in conjunction with the economic evaluation unit 

of the Agency and an approach agreed based on 

the value of preventing a casualty and willingness 

to pay.

In June 2007 the Agency supported Eurostat in the 

presentation  of  proposals  to  harmonise  Annex  I 

of  the  Safety  Directive  and  the  related  Eurostat 

statistical  data.  The  proposal  was  not  accepted 

and  consequently  Eurostat  put  in  place  a  written 

procedure which will reach completion in 2008.

During 2007 the accident investigation and safety 

monitoring activities joined to form a safety repor-

ting and monitoring team. In line with the requi-

rements  of  Directive  2004/49/EC  the  Network  of 

Investigation Bodies met three times during 2007 

to discuss common methods and approaches and 

to  exchange  experience.  In  addition  three  task 

forces were convened to support the development 

of common approaches for:

  Accident causation classification 

  Annual reports 

  Safety recommendations

21

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

During the year a seminar was held on level cros-

sing  accidents  in  conjunction  with  the  Network 

of  Investigation  Bodies  to  share  good  practice 

and  to  discuss  the  possibilities  for  European  level 

recommendations in respect of level crossings. In 

conjunction  with  the  June  plenary  session  of  the 

Network  the  Agency  facilitated  an  inter-agency 

meeting  to  exchange  information  and  establish 

links  with  the  agencies  for  aviation  and  maritime 

safety,  EASA  and  EMSA,  and  the  Commission 

services of DG TREN.

2007  was  the  first  year  for  submission  of  annual 

reports from National Safety Authorities and Nati-

onal Investigation Bodies. The deadline for submis-

sion  was  30th  September  2007.  By  the  end  of 

2007 reports concerning the common safety indi-

cators had been received from 24 National Safety 

Authorities  and  reports  were  submitted  from  15 

National  Investigation  Bodies.  The  analysis  of  the 

reports commenced in October to analyse the data 

as preparation for the Agency’s biennial report on 

the development of safety performance in 2008.

 Interoperability

The  Agency  continued  its  work  in  the  field  of 

interoperability.  In  2007  the  Interoperability  Unit 

conducted a total of 79 meetings with the parti-

cipation of the national safety authorities and the 

sector organisations and, in certain cases, NB-Rail 

and the social partners.

tsi Drafting and revision

The Agency supported the legislative work of the 

European  Commission  by  drafting  new  Technical 

Deliverables and core-business results by activity

22

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Part A – The Agency in 2007 

Specifications  for  Interoperability  (TSIs)  and  revi-

recommended  that  the  requirements  for  energy 

sion  of  already  adopted  TSIs.  In  2007,  the  activi-

measuring  equipment  on  board  should  be  put 

ties related to TSIs were based on the two manda-

in  the  Locomotive  and  Traction  Unit  Conventi-

tes  given  by  the  Commission:  C(2006)  124-final  

onal  Rail  TSI,  because  it  is  an  inner  part  of  the 

of 9 February 2006 and C(2007) 3371-final of 13 

vehicle,  directly  connected  to  the  vehicle  systems 

July 2007.

tsi infrastructure

and installations, and also protected by the vehicle 

protection  system.  The  report  also  analysed  the 

possible  impacts  of  the  Energy  Market  Directive 

The preliminary draft of TSI Infrastructure together 

2003/54 on the TSIs.

with  the  report  was  submitted  to  the  European 

Commission  in  December  2007.  Six  meetings  of 

tsis related to rolling stock

the  Working  Party  were  held  and  several  ad  hoc 

The intermediate report submitted to the Commis-

groups were established to support its work. These 

sion  in  September  2007  recommended  the  draf-

were: Interface Group Infrastructure/Rolling Stock, 

ting of a single TSI covering “Passenger carriages” 

Interface  Group 

Infrastructure/Energy,  Struc-

and “Locomotives, traction units and self propel-

ture  Subgroup,  Conformity  Assessment  and  TSI 

ling  thermal  or  electric  trains”.  The  intermediate 

Implementation Subgroup, Aerodynamics Experts 

report  was  approved  on  this  basis  in  November 

Group (together with Rolling Stock team). 

2007.  The  main  activities  of  the  two  working 

The cooperation with NB Rail Structure Subgroup 

and  bilateral  meetings  with  CEN  representatives 

delivered added value to the quality of preliminary 

draft TSI Infrastructure. 

tsi energy

Following  the  submission  of  the  Intermediate 

Report  to  the  Commission  in  December  2006, 

in  2007  the  activities  related  to  TSI  Energy  invol-

ved  the  final  details  of  the  requirements  for  the 

subsystem  and  Interoperability  Constituents,  and 

the finishing off of the complete draft document 

to be submitted to the Commission at the end of 

the year. 

parties  were  focuses  on  the  development  of  the 

basic  parameters,  the  specification  of  most  of  

the technical items and the drafting of the Imple-

mentation and Conformity assessment sections of 

the TSI.

tsi operations & traffic management

The  revision  of  TSI  Operation  commenced  in 

September 2007. Three working parties are invol-

ved  in  the  revision  process:  a  Core  Group  and 

two separate working parties dealing with vehicle 

identification  and  brake  performance.  The  inter-

mediate  report  is  expected  to  be  ready  towards 

the end of 2008. The recommendations for Annex 

P  and  Annex  A  are  envisaged  for  submission  to 

In 2007, a subgroup on energy measuring equip-

the  European  Commission  in  June  2008  and  the 

ment was established. In July 2007, the subgroup 

recommendation  for  Brake  Performance  is  antici-

produced  a  report  on  Energy  metering. 

It 

pated for autumn 2008.

23

Deliverables and core-business results by activity

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

tsi freight Wagons

The  revision  of  TSI  Freight  Wagons  started  in 

the  October  2007.  The  Working  Party  establis-

hed a work programme and developed an inven-

tory of all the questions related to the TSI Freight  

Wagons that should be considered during the revi-

sion process.

tsi telematics applications for Passengers

The  Working  Party  started  its  work  in  February 

2007. Its activities during 2007 involved the defi-

nition  of  the  scope  for  TSI  Telematics  Applica-

tions  for  Passengers,  the  development  of  a  glos-

sary  and  the  specification  of  the  essential  requi-

rements.  The  Working  Party  also  dealt  with  the 

architecture of the TAP subsystem, and conducted 

a  review  of  best  practices  andexisting  standards 

in  order  to  understand  the  requirements  of  the 

sector organizations. 

This  facilitated  the  drafting  of  the  basic  parame-

ters. A specific subgroup was created to deal with 

the design of business modelling for this TSI. 

other tsis 

Further  to  the  development  and  revision  of  the 

conventional rail TSI group the Agency supported 

the  Commission’s  activities  on  TSI  Persons  with 

reduced  mobility,  TSI  Safety  in  Railway  Tunnels 

and  HS  TSI  Infrastructure  with  technical  advices 

and comments on ongoing discussions.

conformity survey group. 

2007. It validated the choices regarding the assess-

ment procedures made by the working parties on 

CR TSI Energy and CR TSI Infrastructure. 

relationship between the 1435 mm and  
the 1524/1520 mm railway system

The  Interoperability  Unit  progressed  with  the 

feasibility study supported by three ad hoc groups 

(Infrastructure, Rolling Stock and Operation) which 

are  studying  the  relationship  with  the  1520/1524 

mm  gauge  system.  The  ad  hoc  groups  analysed 

the existing technical and operational regulations, 

certification  and  conformity  assessment  procedu-

res, etc. with a special emphasis on the high level 

of  existing  interoperability  with  third  countries. 

This study was carried out using the process used 

for drafting the TSIs. To inform the associations of 

stakeholders and collect their feedback, a Working 

Party was established.

The draft Interim Report giving preliminary conclu-

sions  on  the  pertinence  and  feasibility  of  specific 

TSIs  for  the  1520mm  gauge  system,  was  presen-

ted  to  the  associations  of  the  stakeholders,  NSA 

Network  and  Art.  21  Committee  and  its  final 

version  was  submitted  to  the  Commission  in 

November 2007.

In  addition,  the  Interoperability  Unit  established 

collaboration with the OSJD (the Organisation for 

Railway Cooperation) on the analysis of relations-

hip between the EU 1520/1524mm rail system and 

the non-EU rail system. 

To support the revision and drafting the TSI chap-

This  collaboration  is  limited  only  to  technical  and 

ters  related  to  conformity  assessment,  a  Confor-

operational aspects. Here also the process used for 

mity Survey Group was established in September 

drafting TSIs was employed.

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   24

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Deliverables and core-business results by activity

24

Part A – The Agency in 2007 

technical coordination

the time for the delivery of the TSI and standards 

To  ensure  good  coordination  with  the  interope-

rability  related  activities  of  other  organisations 

and  bodies,  the  Agency  actively  cooperated 

with  European  standardisation  bodies,  notified 

bodies (NoBos), NB-Rail and national safety autho-

rities (NSAs).

cooperation with european 
standardisation Bodies

In May 2007, the Agency signed a Memorandum 

of Understanding with CEN, CENELEC and ETSI to 

streamline  the  technical  coordination  with  Euro-

pean Standardisation Bodies and to ensure consis-

tency  between  the  TSIs  drafting  process  and  the 

standards development. 

In  September  2007  an  ad-hoc  group  with 

representatives  from  ERA  and  European  standar-

to 3 years.

In accordance with the general mandate given by 

the Commission to the standardisation bodies the 

Agency made 8 requests for development of new 

standards related to TSIs. 

cooperation with noBos 

The  Agency  continued  its  collaboration  with 

NB-Rail,  the  secretary  of  Notified  Bodies,  in 

order to collect clarification requests and prepare 

answers  to  be  submitted  to  the  Commission. 

In  order  to  receive  feed-back  of  the  NoBos  the 

Agency  participates  in  the  strategic  and  plenary 

NB-Rail  meetings  as  well  as  all  the  NB-Rail  sub-

systems sub-groups.

cooperation with nsas 

disation  bodies  delivered  a  paper  outlining  the 

Beside the cooperation of NSAs within the Working 

link between the TSI and standards development. 

Parties,  the  Interoperability  Unit  informed  NSAs 

Such an approach would allow the shortening of 

about all ongoing activities via the NSA Network.

25

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

vocational competences

certification. The report covered the management 

The Working Party dealing with vocational compe-

tences on common uniform criteria and the assess-

ment  of  staff  involved  in  the  operation  and  the 

maintenance held its “kick off” meeting in Decem-

ber  2007.  Establishing  two  separate  working 

parties; one dealing with driver licensing and one 

with the assessment of training centres. In order to 

facilitate the future discussions on these issues the 

Agency  conducted  two  meetings  with  the  social 

partners  at  which  the  principles  and  procedures 

system, staff and their competences, facilities and 

tools,  technical  documentation  and  maintenance 

prescriptions.  The  activities  of  the  WP  also  invol-

ved the development of requirements for the certi-

fication  in  a  Guidance  document  and  the  defini-

tion  of  the  requirements  for  assessment  of  issu-

ing  bodies.  To  streamline  the  process  of  imple-

mentation  of  the  system,  the  WP  considered  the 

management  of  certification  after  the  entry  into 

force, the implementation schedule and the speci-

for coordination were discussed.

fics in the transitional period.

european system for certification of 
maintenance Workshops

registration of rolling stock

national vehicle register (nvr)

In October 2007 the Agency submitted the second 

The  Agency  supported  the  preparatory  work  of 

intermediate report for the Proposal for European 

the  Commission  related  to  Commission  Decision 

system for certification of maintenance workshops 

2007/756/EC of 9 November 2007 (notified under 

for  rolling  stock.  It  recommended  a  voluntary 

C(2007)5357) adopting a common specification of 

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   26

25.08.2008   10:24:54

26

Part A – The Agency in 2007 

the  National  Vehicle  Register  provided  for  under 

articles  14(4)  and  (5)  of  Directives  96/48/EC  and 

2001/16/EC.

european centralised virtual 
vehicle register (ec vvr)

As part of the implementation of NVR, the Agency 

launched an IT pilot project. This EC VVR project 

involves  three  pilot  Member  States  (France,  Italy 

and the Netherlands) and an IT subcontractor.

register of rolling stock (rrs) 

One  of  the  thirteen  items  of  the  NVR  is  a  refe-

rence  to  the  RRS.  However,  further  clarifications 

were necessary in 2007 on the RRS. 

The  unit  therefore  continued  its  works  and  in 

July 2007 submitted to the Commission a recom-

mendation on the RRS which covered its content, 

format and management.

technical registers and Databases

In spring 2007 it was decided that Interoperability 

Documents  Database  (IDB)  would  be  developed 

within  the  Agency’s  Information  System  in  close 

compatibility with Safety Documents Database. 

Initially  a  technical  specification  and  description 

of  the  IDB  was  issued.  In  order  to  harmonize  it 

this was followed by a special meeting with NSA 

representatives.

At  the  end  of  the  year  the  Agency  announced  a 

call  for  tender  to  select  an  IT  company  to  set  up 

the  part  of  the  information  system  concerned  to 

the  collection  and  publication  of  interoperability 

documents.

27

Deliverables and core-business results by activity

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

 ERTMS

In  2007  the  Agency  established  its  role  as  the 

system  authority  for  the  ERTMS  specifications, 

with notable results in the field of ETCS.

The  database  for  the  ERTMS  Change  Requests 

(CR) was defined and  put in service in July, recei-

ving positive feedback from the experts using it as 

a  tool  for  the  technical  discussions  on  ETCS.  The 

database has been progressively populated, and by 

the end of the year it contained all the CR’s extant 

for the version of the ETCS system in force.

The  Agency,  working  in  close  cooperation  with 

the  sector,  defined  the  set  of  modifications  and 

clarification necessary for the ETCS version 2.3.0, 

analyzing the possible alternatives and the conse-

quences for present and future projects. This resul-

ted  in  a  recommendation  to  the  Commission  for 

the updating of the Annex A of the two TSI CCS.

In  December,  the  Agency  agreed  with  the  sector 

organizations the maximum number of functional 

enhancements to be further analyzed and defined 

for the ETCS Baseline 3.

For the GSM-R specifications, an ad-hoc working 

group  was  created  to  examine  the  impact  and 

consortium after a successful open call for tender. 

In June the Agency organized the first ERA ERTMS 

Confererence,  with  qualified  speakers  from  the 

stakeholders,  attended  by  about  100  delegates. 

The participants found the event most useful.

In  November,  the  results  of  the  study  -externally 

contracted- to survey the safety approval process 

of the first ERTMS projects was received and revie-

wed with the NSA’s in the ERTMS Focus Group.

In the course of the year, a negotiated procedure 

was  successfully  completed  with  the  aim  to  test 

the  braking  curve  ergonomic  aspects  with  train 

drivers using an ETCS train simulator. The results, 

expected in April 2008, will be essential to finalize 

the definition of the ETCS braking curves.

The  Agency  has  also  participated  in  the  ERTMS 

MoU Steering Committee activities, giving appro-

priate  support  to  the  ERTMS  Coordinator  of  the 

European Commission.

 Economic Evaluation 

In  2007  the  economic  evaluation  unit  further 

contributed to the preparation of Agency recom-

mendations  by  providing  “embedded”  evalua-

tion work, in close cooperation with the Working 

consequences of the optional functions allowed in 

Parties concerned. 

the current specifications.

The Agency also launched a feasibility study on the 

formalization  of  the  system  specification,  with  a 

view to facilitate the assessment of conformity and 

the maintenance of the specifications, by conclu-

In  this  way,  it  has  been  possible  to  highlight  the 

economic effects of draft recommendations, stay-

ing close to the matter, taking some influence on 

the  course  of  choices  made,  while  still  remaining 

neutral and independent, this work being monito-

ding a contract on this matter with an international 

red by the Economic Survey Group.

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   28

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Deliverables and core-business results by activity

28

Part A – The Agency in 2007 

The  evaluation  methodology  proposed  in  2006 

and  presentation  of  questionnaires  was  further 

and approved early 2007 was implemented, resul-

improved  to  that  purpose.  The  DREAM  initiative 

ting in the production of further “applied metho-

was launched. 

dology” documents (tailored to the particular aims 

of  each  single  recommendation),  and  in  the  first 

comprehensive  reports  concerning  ERA  recom-

mendations,  in  particular  concerning  Common 

Safety Methods, Infrastructure TSI, and Energy TSI. 

By performing evaluation work in parallel with the 

drafting  of  recommendations,  the  Agency  ensu-

This is a data processing project aimed at the hand-

ling and use, in a consistent manner, of the data 

provided though questionnaires or other sources. 

The aim is to have a working prototype in place by 

the end of 2008, followed by  gradual deployment 

and sharing with the stakeholders until 2010.

res that impact assessment is provided in a timely 

The Economic Evaluation unit also provided direct 

manner  to  help  steer  the  recommendations,  and 

support  to  the  Commission  through  a  contribu-

that  it  does  not  induce  delays  in  delivering  the 

tion to TEN Networks project assessment, and by 

recommendations.  The  work  performed  rests 

providing  advice  on  hot  topics  closely  related  to 

heavily  on  the  availability  of  data  owned  by  the 

Agency  activities,  such  as  ERTMS  corridors  or 

concerned  stakeholders.  During  2007  the  format 

wagon noise reduction.

29

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   29

25.08.2008   10:25:09

Part B – internal control

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   30

25.08.2008   10:25:18

Part B – Internal control

Internal control

During 2007 the Agency made significant progress 

By the time the IAS completed its follow up report 

in the field of internal control.

in  February  2008  they  were  able  to  confirm  that 

It created an Internal Audit function. 

It undertook a risk management  

exercise.

32 of their 36 recommendations had been closed 

out  and  that  close  out  of  the  other  4  was  «  in 

progress ». One of these was assessed as « critical 

» in the draft follow-up report although it has not 

lead  to  any  material  financial  loss  and  does  not 

 It implemented the recommendations  

qualify as a significant weakness. It will be correc-

of the report of the Internal Audit 

ted along with the other three in 2008. 

Service (IAS) of the European 

Commission.

The Agency intends to further reinforce its internal 

control system by adopting in the course of 2008  

the new Internal Control Standards defined by the 

In 2007 the Agency created an Internal Audit func-

European Commission. 

tion  within  the  Directorate  by  recruiting  a  local 

internal  auditor  to  contribute  to  the  overall  level 

of  assurance  by  providing  independent  opinions 

on the effectiveness of the internal control system 

and offering advisory services on risk management 

and internal control.

A  Gap  analysis  exercise  will  be  carried  out  in  the 

second  semester  of  2008  aimed  at  adapting  and 

prioritise  the  16  Commission’s  internal  control 

standards  to    the  specific  environment  and  risk 

profiles of the European Railway Agency. This will 

allow a meaningful assessment of the functioning 

The risk management exercise, involved risk mana-

of  the  Agency’s  internal  control  system  that  ulti-

gers  from  the  different  units  of  the  Agency  and 

mately  will  supports  the  annual  assurance  of  the 

was  coordinated  by  a  risk  facilitator.  Its  objective 

Executive Director as from 2008.

was  to  establish  the  areas  requiring  priority  of 

control focus and its main output was a risk regis-

ter. This described the risks that were assessed as 

significant  for  the  Agency  and  an  action  plan  to 

mitigate these risks.

Following the audit in 2006 on the adequacy, effec-

tiveness and efficiency of the internal control system 

by the Commission Internal Audit Service (IAS) the 

Agency produced and implemented an action plan 

to address the IAS’s recommendations.

31
31

Internal control

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   31

25.08.2008   10:25:22

 
 
 
 
Part c – support services

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   32

25.08.2008   10:25:34

Part C – Support Services

Human Resources

In the course of 2007, ERA recruited 21 Temporary 

Agents  and  one  Contract  Agent,  while  six 

Temporary  Agents  left  the  Agency.  By  the  end 

of the year, the total number of staff was 98 (94 

Temporary Agents and 4 Contract Agents).  

Of  these,  59  can  be  regarded  as  operational 

staff  (staff  working  for  the  Safety,  Interoperabi-

lity,  ERTMS  and  Economic  Evaluation  Units)  and 

39  as  administrative  staff  (the  Executive  Director, 

the Directorate Support staff and the staff of the 

Administration Unit).

The  planned  total  of  110  staff  was  not  reached 

due  to  a  lack  of  qualified  candidates,  budgetary 

constraints and operational considerations justify-

ing postponement of recruitment to 2008.

The  first  Multi-annual  Staff  Policy  Plan  2008-

2010 was adopted by the Administrative Board on 

19 June 2007.

In  2007  four  implementing  rules  were  submit-

ted  to  the  Commission  for  agreement.  One  of 

these  (concerning  grading  at  recruitment)  was 

subsequently  adopted.  The  three  remaining  ones 

(concerning Temporary Agents, staff appraisal and 

reclassification) will be adopted in 2008.

The annual Training Plan was adopted in January 

2007, communicated to ERA’s staff and implemen-

ted through participation both in courses included 

in the Commission’s Training Catalogue (to which 

ERA  staff  have  access  under  conditions  provided 

for in the SLA signed with the Commission) or to 

other external training initiatives. 

33

Human Resources

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   33

25.08.2008   10:25:45

European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

In line with the planning, the most significant trai-

In addition, the Agency developed a language trai-

ning  initiatives  carried  out  were  within  the  follo-

ning policy. It has also offered railway training semi-

wing areas:

nars to staff who needed to enhance their specia-

lized knowledge. An average of eight training days 

  Communication 

per staff member was attained in 2007.

  Leadership & Management

  Professional skills

Internal procedures

  Personal development

  Budget & financial procedures

 Split of nationalities within ERA

era nationalities: all staff

4% Spanish

2% Romanian

1% Portuguese

4% Polish

1% Dutch

2% Lithuanian

13% Italian

1% Irish

2% Hungarian

2% Greek

7% German

 4% Swedish

1% Austrian

 26% Belgian

5% British

1% Bulgarian

3% Danish

1% Estonian

1% Finish

18% French

Human Resources

34

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   34

25.08.2008   10:25:47

 
Part C – Support Services

era nationalities: operational staff

3% Spanish

3% Romanian

2% Portuguese

8% Polish

2% Dutch

3% Lithuanian

12% Italian

3% Hungarian

era nationalities: non-operational administration staff

15% Italian

3% Irish

5% Greek

18% French

3% Danish

35

Human Resources

7% Swedish

2% Austrian

12% Belgian

5% British

2% Bulgarian

3% Danish

2% Estonian

2% Finish

18% French

12% Gerrman

5% Spanish

46% Belgian

5% British

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   35

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

Finance, Accounting and Procurement

Financially,  2007  was  the  second  year  of  auto-

nomy  and  the  year  when  the  result  of  the  first 

year of autonomy (2006) was audited by the Court 

of Auditors.

The  year  marked  an  increased  level  of  maturity 

which amongst other things was reflected by the 

fact the implementing rules to the financial regu-

lation were adopted and a first manual of financial 

procedures  developed.  The  central  procurement 

function  was  also  established.  It  launched  ten 

open calls for tenders, one negotiated procedure 

with an amount bigger than 150 000 € and two 

negotiated  procedures  with  an  amount  between 

25 000 € and 60 000 €.

The  Agency  deferred  the  move  to  the  Accrual 

Based  Accounting  information  system  (ABAC) 

from the beginning of 2008 to 2009.

Since  July  2007,  the  Agency  has  been  reporting 

monthly to the Commission (DG TREN) about the 

budget  execution  (commitments  and  payments).  

The  main  figures  concerning  the  implementation 

of the 2007 budget and the balance sheet at the 

end of the year can be found in Annex 4.

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   36

25.08.2008   10:25:54

Finance, Accounting and Procurement

36

Part C – Support Services

Infrastructure services at ERA 

information technology, 
Premises and facilities 

Following  the  recommendations  of  audits,  ERA 

launched  an  open  procedure  to  identify  external 

service  providers  for  development,  studies  and 

support for the ERA information systems in order 

to cover short to medium term needs.

In  addition,  a  number  of  business  applications 

were  made  available  on  the  ERA  ICT  infrastruc-

ture, notably the Public Database of Safety Docu-

ments and  the  ERTMS Change Request Manage-

ment  Tool,  while  the  improvement  of  the  ERA 

online collaboration environment progressed.

technology,  coupled  with  the  implementation  of 

specific customised modules, enabled the publica-

tion on the Agency’s website of relevant informa-

tion using a streamlined workflow procedure. This 

achievement  was  supplemented  by  the  introduc-

tion of request forms that are available on-line at 

the Agency’s website in order to obtain informa-

tion and/or documentation from the Agency.

Fitting works affecting the Lille premises and their 

network connection to Valenciennes headquarters 

were carried out, aiming at the implementation of 

video-conference services at the general improve-

ment of the meeting facilities.  At the same time, 

preparations  were  made  together  with  the  local 

Specific  attention  was  devoted  to  the  ERA  inter-

authorities for the building of a new headquarters 

net  site.  The  adoption  of  new  off-the-shelf 

in Valenciennes.

37

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   37

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Staff Committee

The staff committee is composed of six members 

of  the  Agency,  generally  representing  all  catego-

ries  of  staff.  The  present  committee  was  elected 

in September 2006 with a mandate of two years. 

Objective of the staff committee is to:

European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

  Represent the interests of the staff 

vis-a-vis the Agency 

 Maintain continuous contact between 

the Director/Administration and the 

staff

 And-in this manner-to contribute to 

the smooth running of the services by 

providing a channel for the expression 

of opinion by the staff.

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   38

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38

 
 
 
Part C – Support Services

The  staff  committee  has  been 

involved 

in 

the  formulation  of  the  Agency’s  policy  on 

promotion, 

training 

facilities,  missions  and 

working conditions. 

It  worked  together  also  with  staff  committees  of 

other  Agencies  through  the  Assembly  of  Agency 

Staff  Committees 

(AASC)  to  exchange  and 

enlarge experience.

The committee is available to the staff for consul-

tation on workplace issues such as training, flexi-

time  working  conditions,  interpretation  of  the 

regulations etc. In order to facilitate the dialogue 

the staff committee has also set up a section in the 

Agency’s  intranet  including  an    inbox  to  receive 

questions, comments etc.

The section is regularly updated with new informa-

tion, agendas and minutes of meetings. Any rele-

vant documentation received from other Agencies 

is also put online.

39

Staff Committee

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   39

25.08.2008   10:26:10

 
Part D – List of annexes

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   40

25.08.2008   10:26:20

Part D – List of Annexes

Annex 1: Composition of the Administrative 
Board on 31 December 2007 

member states

memBer state

memBer of the aDministrative BoarD

aLternate

Austria 

Belgium 

Bulgaria

Cyprus 

Mr Wolfgang Catharin 

Mr Klaus Gstettenbauer  

Mr Michel Damar  

Mr Simeon Anaviev

Mr Joannes Peeters 

Mr Joro Dimitrov

Mr Patroclos Kithreotis 

Mrs Eleni Pipi-Hadjikosta 

Czech Republic 

Mr Jaroslav Sousĕk 

Denmark  

Mr Jesper Rasmussen 

Mr Michael Harting (Chairman)

Mr Klaus Beer

Mr Triantafyllos Papatriantafyllou

Mr Miltiadis Provatas  

Mr Jindrich Kusnir 

Mr Knud Elm-Larsen

n/a

Mr Hannu Pennanen

Mr Denis Huneau

Mr István Gáal

Ms Mary Molloy

Mr Alberto Chiovelli

Mr Andris Dunskis 

Mr Andrius Paskocinas

Mrs Myriam Recken

Mr Peter-Paul Bonnici

Mr Edwin Griffioen

Mr Slawomir Dyl

Mr Jüri-Karl Seim 

Mr Kari Alppivuori

Mr Patrick Vieu

n/a

Mr John Welsby 

Mr Enzo Celli

Mr Janis Eiduks 

Mr Sigitas Mareckas  

Mr Jeannot Poeker 

Mr Ivan-Cark Saliba

Estonia 

Finland 

France

Germany

Greece 

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Latvia 

Lithuania 

Luxemburg

Malta

Poland 

Portugal 

Slovakia 

Romania

Slovenia 

Spain 

Sweden 

Netherlands 

Mr Rob van der Burg 

Mr Miroslaw Antonowicz

Mr Antonio Brito da Silva

Mr. José Aranha Antunes 

Mr Miroslav Dorcak

Mr Constantin Zaharia

Mr Borut Prhavc 

Mr Vladimir Jozef Dlhopolcek

Mr Vasile Belibou

Ms Breda Kriznar

Mr Eduardo Molina Soto 

Mr Manuel Niño González 

Mr Ulf Lundin 

Mr Ove Andersson 

United Kingdom 

Mr Giles Thomas 

n/a

41

Annex 1: Composition of the Administrative Board on 31 December 2007

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   41

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

european commission

memBers

aLternates

Mr Zoltan Kazatsay

Mr Enrico Grillo-Pasquarelli

Mr Jonathan Scheele

Mr Pedro Ortun 

Mr Augusto Bonucci

Mr Heiko Kunst

Mr Maurizio Castelletti

Ms Maria Spiliopoulou-Kaparia

european economic area states

state

Iceland 

Norway

memBer of the aDministrative BoarD

Mr Sigurbergur Bjornsson 

Mr Erik Ø. Johnsen

sector representatives

sector

memBer

Railway undertakings

Infrastructure managers 

Railway industry 

Trade unions 

Passengers 

Mr Hartmut Mehdorn  

Mr Berend Klerk

Mr André Navarri

Mr Norbert Hansen

Mr Christopher Irwin

Rail freight customers 

Mr János Berényi (Deputy-Chairman)

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   42

25.08.2008   10:26:26

Annex 1: Composition of the Administrative Board on 31 December 2007

42

 
 
Part D – List of Annexes

Annex 2: ERA Organisational Chart

executive Director

Advisers

Internal Auditor

Communication Officer

Legal Advisor

Saftey

ERTMS

Interoperability

Economic 
Evaluation

Administration

Regulation

Reporting

Certification

Assessment

Operational

Human Resources

Technical
Specifications
Interoperability
(TSI)

Coordination

Budget
Finance
Accountancy

ICT

43

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   43

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

Annex 3: Declaration of Assurance 
by the Authorising Officer

I, undersigned, Marcel Verslype, Executive Director 

of the European Railway Agency in my capacity as 

authorising officer; 

Declare  that  the  information  contained  in  this 

Annual Activity Report 2007 gives a true and fair 

view;*

State  that  I  have  reasonable  assurance  that  the 

resources  assigned  to  the  activities  described 

in  this  report  have  been  used  for  their  intended 

purpose and in accordance with the principles of 

sound financial management, and that the control 

procedures put in place give the necessary guaran-

tees  concerning  the  legality  and  regularity  of  the 

underlying transactions;

This  reasonable  assurance 

is  based  on  my 

own  judgement  and  on  the  information  at  my 

disposal;

Confirm  that  I  am  not  aware  of  anything  not 

reported  here  which  could  harm  the  interests  of 

the Institution.

Valenciennes,

Marcel Verslype

* True and fair in this context means 

reliable, complete and correct view on the 

state of affairs in the Institution.

Annex 3: Declaration of Assurance by the Authorizing officer

44

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   44

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Part D – List of Annexes

Annex 4: Financial reports 2007

Budget execution

aPProPriations

commitments %

Payments %

carry-
over

%

9 468 600

9 163 292

96.7

8 676 927

91.6

486 365

5.1

1 797 500

1 731 160

96.3

968 841

53.9

762 319

42.4

3 448 000

2 698 970

78.3

920 220

26.7

1 778 750

51.6

14 744 100

13 593 422

92.2

10 565 988

71.6

3 027 434

20.5

2007

Title I

Title II

Title III

totaL annuaL 
suBsiDy

(values in €)

negotiated Procedures

Contracts ≤ 25 000 € Contracts ≥ 60 000 € 
Count: 3 
Total Amount: € 169 450.00

numBer

contractor(s)

tyPe of 
contract

DescriPtion

amount (€)

LegaL 
Base

ERA/2006/ERTMS

ERA/2006/ADNP03

FWC ERA/2007/DM/S/05

Deutsche Bahn ag 
Systemtechnik 
Kaufmännische 
Dienste T.TZD 
Völckerstr 5 
D-80939 Munich

gelis 
communications 
Rue des Echevins 80 
B-1050 Bruxelles

cg traduction &  
interpretation 
8, rue Rameau 
BP 235 
F-78002 Versailles  

FR (IR): Financial regulation (Implementing Rules)

Services

Study to define train 
journeys on a simul-
tor, to test and prepare 
the analysis on the 
ERTMS brakin curves 
specifications

49 800.00

FR (IR) 
Art.119

Services

Upgrade of Logo /design 
services

59 650.00

FR (IR) 
Art.119

Services

Interpretation Services

60 000.00

FR (IR) 
Art.119

45

Annex 4: Financial reports 2007

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

summary of Procedures

(Excluding real estate contracts and contracts ≤ 25 000 €) 

tyPe of contract

count

Supply

Services

Works

totaL

2

8

0

10

ProceDures

count

Open

Restricted

Negotiated

Negotiated Competing

Other

totaL

real estate contracts

Count: 0 
Total Amount: € 0.00

9

1

0

0

0

10

amount (€)

660 000.00

2 585 000.00

0

3 245 000.00

amount (€)

3 095 000.00

150 000.00

0

0

0

3 245 000.00

numBer

contractor(s) name / aDDress

tyPe of 
contract

DescriPtion amount (€)

LegaL Base

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   46

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Annex 4: Financial reports 2007

46

 
Part D – List of Annexes

economic outturn account

(provisional accounts)

economic outturn account

31/12/2007

31/12/2006

Revenues from administrative operations

166 421.27

363 479.21

Other operating revenue

12 575 529.62

11 920 479.19

totaL oPerating revenue

12 741 950.89

12 283 958.40

administrative expenses

 Staff expenses

 Fixed assets related expenses

 Other administrative expenses

operational expenses

 Other operational expenses

-10 417 824.07

-8 183 793.41

-8 896 470.05

-6 693 991.61

-268 778.53

-167 815.96

-1 252 575.49

-1 321 985.84

-2 697 314.23

-1 329 795.02

-2 697 314.23

-1 329 795.02

totaL oPerating exPenses

-13 115 138.30

-9 513 588.43

surplus (deficit) from operating activities

-373 187.41

2 770 369.97

Financial revenues

Financial expenses

Movement in pensions (-expense; + revenue)

475.26

-10 757.36

2 669.42

-1 614.28

surplus (defict) from non-operating activities

-10 282.10

1 055.14

surplus (defict) from ordinary activities

-383 469.51

2 771 425.11

Extraordinary gains (+)

Extraordinay losses (-)

surplus (defict) from extraordinary items

-37 112.10

-37 112.10

0.00

economic resuLt of the year

-420 581.61

2 771 425.11

47

Annex 4: Financial reports 2007

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

Balance sheet - assets

(provisional accounts)

BaLance sheet - assets

31/12/2007

31/12/2006

a. non current assets

intangible fixed assets

tangible fixed assets

 Land and buildings

 Plant and equipment

 Computer hardware

 Furniture and vehicles

 Other fixtures and fittings

 Leasing

 Tangible fixed assets under construction

Long-term pre-financing

 Long-term pre-financing

 LT pre-financing with EC entities

Long-term receivables

 Long-term receivables

 Long-term receivables with EC entities

450 212.82

372 662.97

0.00

59 387.48

296 345.18

16 930.31

505 446.67

378 431.56

0.00

50 489.76

309 159.02

18 782.78

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

totaL non-current assets

822 875.79

883 878.23

B. current assets

stocks

short-term pre-financing

 Short-term pre-financing

 Short-term pre-financing with consolidated EC entities

short-term receivables

 Current receivables

0.00

0.00

0.00

186 090.66

154 875.24

0.00

18 277.44

18 277.44

188 122.18

178 273.43

Annex 4: Financial reports 2007

48

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Part D – List of Annexes

BaLance sheet - assets

31/12/2007

31/12/2006

 Long-term receivables falling due within a year

 Sundry receivables

 Other

   Accrued income

   Deferred charges

31 215.42

5 198.99

4 649.76

   Deferrals and accruals with consolidated EC entities

   Short term receivables with consolidated EC entities

4 649.76

cash and cash equivalents

7 408 281.22

3 298 688.06

totaL current assets

7 594 371.67

3 505 087.68

totaL

8 417 247.67

4 388 965.91

BaLance sheet  - LiaBiLities

31/12/2007

31/12/2006

a. caPitaL

2 350 843.50

2 771 425.11

accumulated surplus/deficit

2 771 425.11

economic result of the year-profit+/loss-

-420 581.61

2 771 425.11

c. non current LiaBiLities

Employee benefits

Provisions for risks and charges

other Long term liabilities

 Other Long term liabilities

 Other LT liabilities with consolidated EC entities

   Prefinancing received from consolidated EC entities

   Other LT liabilities from consolidated EC entities

totaL non-current LiaBiLities

0.00

0.00

49

Annex 4: Financial reports 2007

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European Railway Agency – annual report 2007

BaLance sheet  - LiaBiLities

31/12/2007

31/12/2006

D. current LiaBiLities

Provisions for risks and charges

             100 000.00

90 000.00

accounts payable

 Current payables

 Long term liabilities falling due within the year

 Sundry payables

 Other

   Accrued charges

   Deferred income

5 966 404.17

1 527 540.80

90 667.17

192 862.58

5 875 737.00

1 334 678.22

847 065.22

818 385.40

   Deferrals and accruals with consolidated EC entities

   Accounts payable with consolidated EC entities

   Prefinancing received from consolidated EC entities

   Other accounts payable against consolidated EC entities

5 028 671.78

4 944 486.11

84 185.67

516 292.82

485 383.73

30 909.09

totaL current LiaBiLities

6 066 404.17

1 617 540.80

totaL

8 417 247.67

4 388 965.91

080825_ERA_annualreport07_final.indd   50

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50

 
 
 
Part D – List of Annexes

Budget and revenue outturn

(provisional accounts)

BuDget outturn account

2007

2006

revenue

Commission subsidy DG TREN

17 024 506.00

12 385 224.82

Other revenue

8 696.00

20 491.07

totaL revenue (a)

17 033 202.00

12 405 715.89

exPenDiture

Personnel expenses – Budget title i

 Payments

 Automatic carry-overs

administrative expenses – Budget title ii

 Payments

 Automatic carry-overs

operational expenses – Budget title iii

 Payments

 Automatic carry-overs

8 676 926.96

6 691 821.23

153 994.01

128 630.79

968 841.39

762 319.22

1 000 883.79

398 481.07

920 219.73

1 547 020.86

1 778 750.00

2 152 922.44

totaL exPenDiture (B)

13 261 051.31

11 919 760.18

outturn for the financiaL year (a-B)

3 772 150.69

485 955.71

Cancellation of unused carry-overs

Exchange differences for the year

Balance carried over from year N-1

BaLance of the outturn account  
for the financiaL year    

+ 686 951.69

0.00

+ 485 383.73

0.00

- 571.98

4 944 486.11

485 383.73

51

Annex 4: Financial reports 2007

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t
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ISSN 1830-7612

DOI 10.2821/10495

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