OPINION OF THE COMMISSION  pursuant to Article 294(7)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, on the European Parliament amendment to the Council position regarding the proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL  concerning a European rail network for competitive freight
Date: 2010-08-30
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: carriage of goods, common transport policy, rail network, transport infrastructure, transport market

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 30.8.2010 
COM(2010) 457 final 

2008/0247 (COD) 

OPINION OF THE COMMISSION 

pursuant to Article 294(7)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, 
on the European Parliament amendment 
to the Council position regarding the 
proposal for a 

REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

concerning a European rail network for competitive freight  

AMENDING THE PROPOSAL OF THE COMMISSION 
pursuant to Article 293(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union 

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2008/0247 (COD) 

OPINION OF THE COMMISSION 

pursuant to Article 294(7)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, 
on the European Parliament amendment 
to the Council position regarding the 
proposal for a 

REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

concerning a European rail network for competitive freight  

1. 

BACKGROUND 

Date of adoption by the Commission and  
transmission to Parliament and the Council: 11 December 2008 

European Parliament opinion (first reading) : 23 April 2009 

Economic and Social Committee opinion: 15 July 2009 

Committee of the Regions opinion: 7 October 2009 

Council position adopted unanimously on: 22 February 2010 

COREPER agreement on the compromise resulting  
from the negotiations at second reading: 7 June 2010 

European Parliament position (second reading): 15 June 2010 

2. 

AIM OF THE PROPOSAL 

–  The proposal for a Regulation is aimed at encouraging Member States, and above all rail 
infrastructure managers, to develop a European rail network 'for competitive freight' made 
up of freight-oriented international rail corridors. 

–  These corridors should allow freight trains to benefit from good-quality train paths, thereby 
enabling them to display a higher standard of service (punctuality, journey times) than at 
present: a crucial factor in attracting rail freight customers. They will also make it possible 
to  free  up  additional  capacity  for  rail  freight,  which  has  been  growing  for  a  number  of 
years (despite the effects of the economic crisis, this trend looks set to continue in the next 
few years). 

–  The Commission proposes four focal points for creating these corridors: 

–  greater cooperation and harmonisation between rail infrastructure managers with regard to 
both the operational management of infrastructure and investment, in particular by putting 
in place a governance structure for each corridor;  

–  increase in the reliability and the amount of infrastructure capacity allocated to rail freight 

on freight-oriented international rail corridors; 

–  enhanced coordination between the rail network and goods terminals (maritime and inland 

ports, marshalling yards, etc.); 

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–  exemplary  corridors  with  non-discriminatory  access  for  operators  and  transparency  in 
access conditions, particularly through publication of the rules and of a substantial amount 
of relevant information. 

3. 

OPINION OF THE COMMISSION ON THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AMENDMENT  

The European Parliament position, which was put to the vote on 15 June 2010, is the result of 
the compromise reached at the last trilogue, mainly regarding access to the corridor, through 
the setting-up of a one-stop shop and the reservation of train paths by undertakings other than 
railway undertakings ('authorised applicants'). This compromise was ratified by the Council in 
June, subject to a draft declaration by the Commission (see below). 

4. 

CONCLUSION 

Pursuant  to  Article  293(2)  of  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  the 
Commission agrees to amend its proposal as indicated above. 

The Commission would also make the following declaration (English language version is the 
original): 

'The Commission underlines that the one-stop-shop is a joint body set up or designated by 
the management board of each corridor; its function is that of a coordination tool. It may 
be a technical body within the corridor management structure or one of the infrastructure 
managers concerned'. 

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