Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council. Exemptions granted by Member States under Regulation (EC) 1371/2007 on rail passengers’ rights and obligations

Regulation (EC) No 1371/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council on rail passengers’ rights and obligations entered into force on 3 December 2009. The aim of the Regulation is to protect the rights of rail passengers in the EU, particularly when travel is disrupted, and to improve the quality and effectiveness of rail passenger services.

Whilst, in principle, the Regulation applies to all rail passenger services in the EU, the Regulation allows Member States to grant exemptions to domestic long distance rail passenger services to ease the phasing-in of the Regulation. In view of the specific character of urban, suburban and regional rail passenger services, the Regulation also allows Member States to exempt these services from the application of the Regulation.

Article 2 of the Regulation thus allows Member States to exempt certain services from the full application of the Regulation:
- Domestic rail passenger services for a maximum period of five years, renewable twice;
- Urban, suburban and regional rail passenger services;
- Rail passenger services or journeys of which a significant part is operated outside the EU for a maximum period of five years. This exemption may be renewed.

Article 2(7) invites the Commission to provide the European Parliament and the Council with a report on the exemptions granted by Member States.

• Primary Source

EUR-Lex: COM(2015)117: Follow the progress of this report through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2015:117:FIN

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