The committee adopted the report by Gilles SAVARY (PES, F) on the implementation and effects of the 1996 directive on the interoperability of the trans-European high-speed rail system. The committee was unhappy that, three years after the adoption of the directive, not one single technical specification for interoperability (TSI) had been developed, even though interoperability was regarded as a "sine qua non" for mobility for rail users and for effective trans-European railway systems. Only two Member States had transposed the provisions of the directive into national legislation. The committee praised the development of successful high-speed connections like Eurostar and Thalys, but felt that national differences still represented a considerable obstacle to the development of rail transport in Europe.�