The Council adopted its position at position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a Regulation repealing Regulation (EEC) No 1192/69 of the Council on common rules for the normalisation of the accounts of railway undertakings.
The sole objective of the proposal is to repeal an outdated regulation which was adopted when organisations providing railway services fulfilled certain responsibilities of the public sector. The regulation provided the framework for compensation of the costs and benefits arising from such responsibilities.
The Council position repeals Regulation (EEC) No 1192/69, with the exception of the provisions of that Regulation that apply to the normalisation of accounts for Class IV cases covered by Annex IV to that Regulation. Those provisions shall continue to apply until 31 December 2017.
Regulation (EEC) 1192/69 is no longer compatible with the modern organisation of the railway sector. However, the Regulation is still used, notably for compensation of costs relating to certain level-crossing facilities. A transitional period for the compensation of level-crossing costs is therefore justified with a view to a smooth transition to the new system.