Article 1 
The purpose of this Directive is to implement the Agreement concluded on 27 January 2004 between the Community of European Railways (CER) and the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) on certain aspects of the working conditions of mobile workers engaged in interoperable cross-border services. The text of the Agreement is annexed to this Directive.
Article 2 
1. Member States may maintain or introduce more favourable provisions than those laid down by this Directive. 2. The implementation of this Directive shall under no circumstances constitute sufficient grounds for justifying a reduction in the general level of protection of workers in the fields covered by this Directive. This shall be without prejudice to the rights of Member States and/or management and labour to lay down, in the light of changing circumstances, different legislative, regulatory or contractual arrangements to those prevailing at the time of the adoption of this Directive, provided always that the minimum requirements laid down in this Directive are complied with.
Article 3 
Without prejudice to the provisions of the Agreement on the follow-up and evaluation by the signatories, the Commission shall, after consulting management and labour at European level, report to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation of this Directive in the context of the development of the railways sector, before 27 July 2011.
Article 4 
Member States shall determine what penalties are applicable when national provisions enacted pursuant to this Directive are infringed and shall take all necessary measures to ensure that they are implemented. The penalties must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive. Member States shall notify these provisions to the Commission by 27 July 2008 and any subsequent amendments thereto in good time.
Article 5 
Member States shall, after consultation with the social partners, bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 27 July 2008 or shall ensure that the social partners have adopted the necessary provisions by means of an Agreement by that date. They shall immediately forward the text of the provisions to the Commission. Member States shall take all necessary measures to enable them to guarantee at any time the outcome required by this Directive and shall inform the Commission thereof immediately. When Member States adopt these measures, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or shall be accompanied by such reference on the occasion of their official publication. The methods of making such reference shall be laid down by Member States.
Article 6 
This Directive shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .
Article 7 
This Directive is addressed to the Member States.