Parliament to push for swift action on rail liberalisation

Date: 29/06/2000

By Renée Cordes

The European Parliament is increasing pressure on Union governments to open up their rail networks to competition as quickly as possible, calling for an ambitious 2010 deadline to be set for the full liberalisation of all freight and passenger networks.

MEPs are set to vote in favour of a series of measures next week aimed at forcing the EU to go much further down the track towards full competition than has already been agreed by member states, or even been proposed by the European Commission.

Union transport ministers have already approved proposals to give rival operators open access rights on a designated trans-European freight network, which would be incorporated into the EU's Trans-European Networks (TENs).

But the Parliament fears that this initiative will have little impact if it is not followed up with concrete plans for further liberalisation. German Christian Democrat MEP Georg Jarzembowski, the transport committee's rapporteur on the issue, argues that member states should be required to open up their entire freight networks immediately to complete the internal market.

The assembly is expected to adopt his report, but support amendments calling for a strict timetable to be set for laying the foundations for full competition. These include plans for a complete liberalisation of freight traffic within five years followed by full market-opening in the passenger sector five years later.

"The Council talks about international freight traffic, but there is no reason why you should not liberalise passenger traffic as well," said Belgian Liberal MEP Dirk Sterckx, who has proposed the strict timetable.

Next week's parliamentary vote is on a package of measures already agreed by EU governments which would establish a system of rail freight networks. The move is in part aimed at diverting traffic from the Union's overcrowded roads back to the railways.

But the assembly's move is sure to be fiercely resisted by member states led by France's Socialist government, which has repeatedly argued that any firm timetable for opening up the sector could lead to wide social unrest.

The Community of European Railways (CER) said that while it supports liberalisation, it would prefer a more gradual approach. "We favour the common position agreed by governments, which is a little bit more cautious, allowing for a number of exceptions for countries which have specialised situations," said CER spokesman Guy Hoedts.

The European Parliament is increasing pressure on Union governments to open up their rail networks to competition as quickly as possible, calling for an ambitious 2010 deadline to be set for the full liberalisation of all freight and passenger networks.