With discussions of the technical and market pillars of the Fourth Railway Package beginning again under the Latvian Presidency of the European Council, UITP, EMTA (European Metropolitan Transport Authorities) and EPTO (European Passenger Transport Operators) have declared their opposition to any potential splitting of the Package.
With the re-opening of discussions of the Package under the new Latvian Presidency, the three associations express their concern about potential priority given in Council discussions to the technical pillar to the detriment of the market pillar. The expected benefits from the future adoption of the technical pillar are only likely to be realised in a context of progressive market opening hence why the associations defend a ‘package approach’ whereby both pillars are taken forward jointly.
For the three associations, the key to finding an agreement on the market pillar is to stick to more limited ambitions. The associations have consistently called for the revision of regulation 1370/2007 to be strictly limited to the minimum changes necessary to open domestic passenger rail markets to competition without impacting urban and local public transport, for which the current regulation already provides a progressive and balanced market opening.
For UITP, EPTO and EMTA the opening of the passenger rail market should be carried out within a reasonable timeframe. It should provide legal security as a number one priority but it must be effective if we want to stop further stagnation in the rail sector, attract the required investments, remove impediments for new entrants, meet the rapidly evolving needs of passengers and provide better value for the public money spent. This progressive market-opening process must establish a general principle of competitive award for public service contracts in rail and allow for the possibility of retaining direct awarding in certain limited and strictly defined cases.
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