Recast of the First Rail Freight Package (Hl)

In 2001, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament adopted the so-called First Railway Package. Comprising three Directives, this was intended to open up the rail freight market to competition and help to improve rail's share of the overall freight market. In 2006, however, the Commission published a report concluding that the implementation of the Package was inadequate and has committed itself to recasting the Package. In this report, "Recast of the First Rail Freight Package (HL Paper 90-I)", the Committee looks at which elements of the Package need amending and which need clarification. Following are the conclusions and recommendations: the report recommends that the Commission use the recast to require the full separation of railway infrastructure managers from rail train operators (full separation is the surest way to remove market distortions and to create the conditions necessary for increased rail freight); the recast of the Package should include more detailed provisions about the powers and remits of regulators, which should be independent of government (the Committee recommends that the Commission does not propose establishing an EU-level regulator); and, charges levied for use of rail infrastructure and access to rail-related services - such as sidings, marshalling yards and fuelling stations - vary across Europe and this has hindered growth (the report recommends that the Commission include in the recast mandatory definitions of which costs can and cannot be included in infrastructure charges). The Committee supports recasting the Package, believing the aim of an open and competitive rail market can be achieved and international rail freight can be encouraged further.