The European
Parliament adopted a resolution on the joint text approved by the
Conciliation Committee regarding the proposal amending Council Directive
91/440/EEC on the development of the Community's railways and Directive
2001/14/EC on the allocation of railway infrastructure capacity and the
levying of charges for the use of railway infrastructure. It approved the
joint text by 541 votes in favour to 66 against with 20 abstentions.
The key points
of the agreement reached can be summarised as follows:
- Comitology: measures necessary to adapt the annexes of Directive
91/440/EEC and Directive 2001/14/EC will be adopted in accordance with
the 'regulatory with scrutiny' procedure;
- Levy: in line with the EP second reading position, provisions
governing the levy on international rail passenger services to finance
public rail passenger services include the stipulation that 'the total
levies imposed shall not endanger the economic viability of the rail
passenger service on which they are imposed'; and that the compensation
paid shall not exceed the total cost incurred in discharging the
relevant public service obligations.
- Reporting
obligations: the Parliament achieved its
goal of ensuring that, when the Commission reports in 2012 on the
implementation of the Directive, it will also be obliged to assess the
development of the market including the state of preparation for a
further opening-up of the rail market and, if appropriate, propose
additional measures to bring about further liberalisation of rail market
access.