House of Rail welcomes the draft EC Regulation on the creation of a European rail network for competitive freight

House of Rail members and many other customer groups lobbied hard for the European Parliament not only to accept the Commission’s draft but to strengthen it. They therefore welcome the amendments made earlier this week which:

• increase the flexibility of the regulation,
• involve customers and operators to a greater extent,
• provide for a greater role for independent regulators, and
• increase the transparency of the various activities involved, including a requirement to provide independent regulators with information.

HoR is pleased that the European Parliament did not accept certain amendments designed to neuter the regulations and make them less effective.

HoR will now study the new text of the Regulation and may propose some further improvements. Similarly, HoR will be seeking to ensure that member states support this Regulation in the Transport Council so that it can be implemented at the earliest possible time.