Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking
PURPOSE : establish a public-private partnership called ‘Shift2Rail JU’ in order to strengthen industrial research and innovation in the railway sector.
NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT : Council Regulation (EU) n° 642/2014 establishing the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking.
CONTENT : the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020, supports public-private partnerships in research and innovation in order that the Union might tackle certain key challenges.
In order to coordinate and manage Union research and innovation investments in the European rail sector, this Regulation aims to establish a new Joint Undertaking (‘Shift2Rail’ or ‘S2R Joint Undertaking’), for a period up to 31 December 2024.
S2R JU is a body entrusted with the implementation of a public-private partnership. Its seat will be located in Brussels, Belgium. The founding Members are the Union and eight other Members, these being Alstom, Ansaldo, Bombardier, Construcciones y auxiliar de ferrocarriles, Network rail, Siemens, Thales and Trafikverket. The associated members of the S2R Joint Undertaking shall be selected through an open call.
In order to take into account the duration of Horizon 2020, calls for proposals under the Joint Undertaking must be launched at the latest by 31 December 2020 (in duly justified cases, by 31 December 2021). Calls for proposals will be published on the single portal for participants as well as through other Horizon 2020 electronic means of dissemination managed by the Commission.
The rules for participation and dissemination of the Horizon 2020 programme will apply to the JU.
Objectives of the JU: the new JU will deal with all rail research and innovation activities cofinanced by the EU in accordance with the following general objectives:
· contribute to the implementation of Horizon 2020 and in particular part of the Smart, Green and Integrated Transport Challenge;
· contribute to the achievement of the Single European Railway Area, to a faster and less costly transition to a more attractive, user-friendly (including for persons with reduced mobility), competitive, efficient and sustainable European rail system, and to the development of a strong and globally competitive European rail industry;
· play a major role in rail-related research and innovation, and manage all rail-focused research and innovation actions co-funded by the Union;
· establish— and ensure the effective implementation of — a strategic Master Plan;
· actively promote the participation of all relevant stakeholders, particularly: manufacturers of railway equipment, infrastructure managers, railway undertakings, metro, tram and light rail operators, notified and designated conformity assessment bodies, professional staff associations, user associations, as well as the relevant scientific institutions. The involvement of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) must be ensured;
· develop demonstration projects in interested Member States.
Shift2Rail aims to double the capacity of the railway transport system, and for a 50 % reduction of the life-cycle cost and a 50 % decrease in unreliability and late arrivals.
Funding: the Union financial contribution to the JU shall come from Horizon 2020 and amount up to EUR 450 million for the period from 2014 to 2020, of which: (i) a maximum contribution to the S2R Joint Undertaking, to cover administrative costs and operational costs, of EUR 398 million; (ii) a maximum additional amount of EUR 52 000 000, earmarked under the Horizon 2020 Transport Work Programme 2014-2015.
Additional funds may be allocated from other Union instruments to support actions for the deployment of innovative solutions of the S2R Joint Undertaking. The total contribution from all members other than the Union shall be of at least EUR 470 million.
The Regulation contains provisions that aim to ensure the protection of the financial interests of the Members.
The discharge for the implementation of the budget of the JU shall be given by the European Parliament, upon recommendation of the Council in accordance with the procedure provided for in the financial rules of the S2R JU.
Evaluation: by 30 June 2017 the Commission shall carry out, with the assistance of independent experts, an interim evaluation of the JU. It shall send that report to the European Parliament and to the Council by 31 December 2017. The results of the interim evaluation shall be taken into account in the interim evaluation of Horizon 2020.
S2R JU’s mandate will end on 31 December 2024 and the JU will be wound up.
ENTRY INTO FORCE : 07.07.2014.