COUNCIL REACHES GENERAL APPROACH ON ERA REGULATION

BRUSSELS—Today, the Transport Council reached a general approach on the Regulation on the European Railway Agency (ERA). With this agreement, the Council has completed the work on the technical pillar of the Fourth Railway Package which consists of the revised Interoperability Directive, the Safety Directive, and the ERA Regulation.

UNIFE thanks the Greek Presidency and the representatives of the member states for their hard work on the file and for having made this general approach possible. Since the European Parliament has already adopted its position on the technical pillar in the first reading, the path is now clear for discussions to begin between the European Parliament, the Council, and the European Commission.

UNIFE calls upon the European institutions to start trialogues on the technical pillar of the Fourth Railway Package and to adopt it early into the Italian Presidency. The technical pillar has the unanimous support of the rail sector; it will increase the attractiveness of rail transport and help make the European rail industry more competitive.

UNIFE General Director Philippe Citroën states: “The general approach on the ERA Regulation is very good news for the railway sector. It is absolutely essential that the Commission, the Council and the Parliament separate the technical pillar from the package and adopt it during the Italian Presidency. The entire European rail sector urgently needs the technical pillar!”