European Parliament approves Market Pillar of the Fourth Railway Package

The European Parliament has adopted the Market Pillar of the Fourth Railway Package following a plenary session on 14 December 2016.

The European Parliament has adopted the Market Pillar of the Fourth Railway Package. The approval comes after almost five years of negotiations between the Commission, Parliament and Council.

The agreement reached on the legislative texts revising Directive 2012/34 and Regulation 1370/2007, will allow publication in the EU Official Journal expected at the end of the year.

Fourth Railway Package – five years of negotiations

The forth railway package was originally put forward by the European Commission in 2013 and consists of six legislative proposals to enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of rail across the European Union. It intends to remove any remaining institutional, legal and technical obstacles in order to create an integrated European Railway Area.

The technical pillar of the Fourth Railway Package was adopted in April this year and later came into action in June.

Commenting on the approval, CER Executive Director Libor Lochman said: “It is with great satisfaction that I see this process coming to an end today. These legislative texts consolidate a regulatory framework that should enhance opportunities for railway companies and enable them to perform at their best. The rail sector now looks forward to enjoying a very much needed stable regulatory environment. The Market Pillar, together with the Technical Pillar of the package, is expected to be the basis for an efficient Single European Rail Area.” He added: “I take this opportunity to thank all institutional stakeholders who have shown consideration for the rail business’s expectations and granted CER the possibility to make our views heard for the sake of improving the railway sector’s competitiveness.”