4th Railway Package: Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2012/34/EU establishing a single European railway area, as regards the opening of the market for domestic passenger transport services by rail and the governance of the railway infrastructure - Analysis of the final compromise text with a view to agreement - Hoofdinhoud

Council of the European Union Brussels, 21 April 2016

PUBLIC

(OR. en)

8061/16

Interinstitutional File: ADD 2

2013/0029 (COD) i LIMITE

TRANS 123 CODEC 488

REPORT

From: General Secretariat of the Council

To: Permanent Representatives Committee (Part 1)

No. prev. doc.: 6849/16 TRANS 68 CODEC 256

No. Cion doc.: 5985/13 TRANS 36 CODEC 216

Subject: 4th Railway Package:

Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2012/34 i/EU establishing a single European railway area, as regards the opening of the market for domestic passenger transport services by rail and the governance of the railway infrastructure - Analysis of the final compromise text with a view to agreement

The annex to this document contains the text provisionally agreed at the trilogue on 19 April, as referred to in document 8061/16 INIT.

It is still subject to verification by the European Parliament.

Changes to the Coreper mandate are indicated in bold underline and strikethrough.

ANNEX

Article 1

Directive 2012/34 i/EU is amended as follows:

Corresponding recital

"In pursuing the completion of the Single European Railway Area, Member States should ensure that the provision of railway services occurs under socially acceptable conditions reflects requirements linked to the guarantee of adequate social protection, whilst ensuring smooth progress towards the completion of the Single European Railway Area. In this context, obligations arising in accordance with national law from binding collective agreements or agreements concluded between social partners and relevant social standards should be respected. Those obligations should be without prejudice to Union legislation in the field of social and labour law. The Commission should actively support the work undertaken by the sectoral social dialogue on railways."

Corresponding recital

"In the framework of the ongoing review of Directive 2007/59/EC i on the certification of train drivers operating locomotives and trains on the railway system in the Community, the Commission should assess whether new legislative measures on the certification of on-board railway staff are necessary."

-1. Article 2 is amended as follows:

(a) The first sentence of paragraph 3 is replaced by the following:

‘(3) Member States may exclude the following from the application of Articles 7, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 8 and 13 and Chapter IV:’;

(aa) A new paragraph 3a is added:

"3a. Member States may exclude the following from the application of Articles 7, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d and 8:

Local, low-traffic lines of a length not exceeding 100 km, which are used for freight traffic between a mainline and points of origin and destination of shipments along those lines, provided that these lines are managed by entities other than the main infrastructure manager and either a) are used by a single freight operator or b) the essential functions are performed by a body which is not controlled by any railway undertaking. In case there is only a single freight operator, Member States may also exempt it from the application of Chapter IV until capacity is requested by another applicant. This provision can equally be applied where the line is used also, to a limited extent, for passenger services. Member States shall inform the Commission of their intention to exclude such lines from the application of Articles 7, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d and 8."

(ab) A new paragraph 3b is added:

"3b. Member States may exclude the following from the application of Article 7, 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d:

Regional low-traffic networks managed by an entity other than the main infrastructure manager and used for the operation of regional passenger services provided by a single railway undertaking other than the incumbent railway undertaking of the Member State, until capacity for passenger services on that network is requested, and provided that the undertaking is independent of any railway undertaking operating freight services. This provision can equally be applied where the line is used also, to a limited extent, for freight services. Member States shall inform the Commission of their intention to exclude such lines from the application of Articles 7, 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d. "

(b) Paragraph 4 is replaced by the following:

‘(4) Without prejudice to paragraph 3, Member States may exclude local and regional railway infrastructures which do not have any strategic importance for the functioning of the railway market from the application of Articles 8(3) and local railway infrastructures which do not have any strategic importance for the functioning of the railway market from the application of Articles 7, 7a, 7c and Chapter IV. Member States shall notify the Commission of their intention to exclude such railway infrastructures. In accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 62(2), the Commission shall decide whether such railway infrastructure may be considered to be without any strategic importance, taking into account the length of railway lines concerned, their level of use and the traffic volume potentially impacted.’;

(ba) A new paragraph 8a is inserted:

"(8a) For a period of 10 years after the date of entry into force of the Directive, Member States may exclude from the application of Chapters II and IV of the Directive, with the exception of Articles 10, 13 and 56, isolated railway lines of less than 500 km with a different track gauge than the main domestic network, that connect with a third country where EU rail legislation does not apply and which are managed by a different infrastructure manager than the main domestic network. Railway undertakings operating exclusively on such lines may be exempted from the application of

Chapter II.

The exemption may be renewed for periods not exceeding 5 years. No later than 12 months before the expiry date of the exemption, a Member State that intends to renew the exemption shall notify the Commission of its intention. The Commission shall examine whether the conditions for an exemption as referred to in the subparagraph above are still met. If those conditions are not met, the Commission shall adopt a decision on the termination of the exemption in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 62(2)."

(c) Paragraph 12 is Inserted:

 ‘(12) Where, in the context of an existing public-private partnership concluded before 16 June 2015, the private party to this partnership is also a railway undertaking responsible for providing passenger railway services on the infrastructure, Member States may continue to exempt such a private party from the application of Articles 7, 7a and 7d and limit the right to pick up and set down passengers for services operated by railway undertakings on the same infrastructure as the passenger services provided by the private party under the public-private partnership.’

(d) Paragraph 13 is inserted:

"(13) Private infrastructure managers that are part of a public-private partnership concluded before [date of entry into force of the Directive] and that do not receive public funds shall be excluded from the application of Article 7d provided that loans and financial guarantees operated by the infrastructure manager do not benefit directly or indirectly to specific railway undertakings."

• 1. 

  Article 3 is amended as follows:

(a) Point 2 is replaced by the following:

• (2) 

  "infrastructure manager" means any body or firm responsible for the operation, maintenance and renewal of railway infrastructure on a network, and for participating in its development as determined by the Member State within the framework of its general policy on development and financing of infrastructure;

(2a) "development of the railway infrastructure" means network planning, financial and investment planning as well as the building and upgrading of the infrastructure;

(2aa) "operation of the railway infrastructure" means train path allocation, traffic management and infrastructure charging;

(2b) "maintenance of the railway infrastructure" means works intended to maintain the condition and capability of existing infrastructure;

(2c) "renewal of the railway infrastructure" means major substitution works on the existing infrastructure which do not change its overall performance;

(2d) "upgrade of the railway infrastructure" means major modification works of the infrastructure which improve its overall performance;

(2e) "essential functions" of infrastructure management means decision making on train path allocation, including both the definition and the assessment of availability and the allocation of individual train paths, and decision-making on infrastructure charging, including determination and collection of charges, in accordance with the charging framework and the capacity allocation framework established by the Member States pursuant to Articles 29 and 39.'

"'Conflict of interest' means any situation in which a person who is entitled to take decisions on the essential functions has, directly or indirectly, a personal financial or economic interest which could improperly influence the impartiality of the infrastructure manager in the exercise of those functions;"

(b) The following points are added:

'(31) "vertically integrated undertaking" means an undertaking where, in the meaning of Council

Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 i:

• - 

  an infrastructure manager is controlled by an undertaking which at the same time controls one or several railway undertakings that operate rail services on the infrastructure manager’s network or

• - 

  an infrastructure manager is controlled by one or several railway undertakings that operate rail services on the infrastructure manager’s network or

• - 

  one or several railway undertakings that operate rail services on the infrastructure manager’s network are controlled by an infrastructure manager.

It also means an undertaking consisting of distinct divisions, including an infrastructure manager and one or several divisions providing transport services that do not have a distinct legal personality.

Where an infrastructure manager and a railway undertaking are fully independent of each other, but both are controlled directly by a Member State without an intermediary entity, they are not considered to constitute a vertically integrated undertaking for the purposes of this Directive.

(cb) The following point 33 is added:

• (32) 

  "public private partnership" means a binding arrangement between public bodies and one or more undertakings other than the main infrastructure manager of a Member State, under which the undertakings partially or totally construct and/or fund railway infrastructure and/or acquire the right to exercise any of the functions listed in point (2) for a predefined period of time. The arrangement may take any appropriate legally binding form foreseen in national legislation.

• (33) 

  "management board" means the senior body of an undertaking performing executive and administrative functions, which is responsible and accountable for day-to-day management of the undertaking.

(33a) “supervisory board” means the most senior body of an undertaking that fulfils supervisory tasks, including the exercise of control over the management board and general strategic decisions regarding the undertaking.

(33b) ‘through ticket’ means a ticket or tickets representing a transport contract for successive railway services operated by one or more railway undertakings;

• (36) 

  'high speed passenger services' means passenger rail services operated without intermediate stops between two places separated at least by a distance longer than 200 km on specially-built high-speed lines equipped for speeds generally equal or greater than 250 km/h and running on average at those speeds.'

• 2. 

  In Article 6, paragraph 2 is replaced by the following text:

"For the purpose of this Article, Member States which apply Article 7a(3) shall require the undertaking to be organised in distinct divisions that do not have a distinct legal personality within a single undertaking."

• 3. 

  Article 7 is replaced by the following:

"Article 7

Independence of the infrastructure manager

• 1. 

  Member States shall ensure that the infrastructure manager is responsible for the operation, maintenance and renewal on a network and is entrusted with the development of the railway infrastructure on that network, in accordance with national law.

Member States shall ensure that none of the other legal entities within the vertically integrated undertaking have a decisive influence on the decisions taken by the infrastructure manager in relation to the essential functions.

Member States shall ensure that the members of the supervisory board and of the management board of the infrastructure manager and the managers directly reporting to them act in a nondiscriminatory manner and that their impartiality is not affected by any conflict of interest.

• 2. 

  Member States shall ensure that the infrastructure manager is organised as an entity that is legally distinct from any railway undertaking and, in vertically integrated undertakings, from any other legal entities within the undertaking.

• 3. 

  Member States shall ensure that the same individuals cannot be employed or appointed at the same time:

• - 

  as members of the management board of an infrastructure manager and of a railway undertaking,

• - 

  as persons in charge of taking decisions on the essential functions and as members of the management board of a railway undertaking,

• - 

  where a supervisory board exists, as members of the supervisory board of an infrastructure manager and of a railway undertaking,

• - 

  as members of the supervisory board of an undertaking which is part of a vertically integrated undertaking and which exercises control over a railway undertaking and an infrastructure manager and as members of the management board of that infrastructure manager.

• 4. 

  In vertically integrated undertakings, the members of the management board of the infrastructure manager and the persons in charge of taking decisions on the essential functions shall not receive any performance-based remuneration from any other legal entities within the vertically integrated undertaking or bonuses principally related to the financial performance of particular railway undertakings. They may however be offered incentives related to the overall performance of the railway system.

• 5. 

  Where information systems are common to different entities within a vertically integrated undertaking, access to sensitive information relating to essential functions shall be restricted to authorised staff of the infrastructure manager. Sensitive information shall not be passed on to other entities within a vertically integrated undertaking.

• 6. 

  The provisions of paragraph 1 shall be without prejudice to the decision-making rights of

Member States as regards the development and funding of railway infrastructure and the competences of Member States as regards infrastructure financing and charging, as well as capacity allocation, as defined in Articles 4(2), 8, 29 and 39."

• 4. 

  The following Articles 7a to 7g are inserted:

Article 7a

Independence of the essential functions

• 1. 

  Member States shall ensure that the infrastructure manager has organisational and decisionmaking independence within the limits set out in Articles 4(2), 29 and 39, as regards the essential functions.

• 2. 

  For the application of paragraph 1, Member States shall ensure in particular that:

• - 

  a railway undertaking or any other legal entity does not exercise a decisive influence on the infrastructure manager in relation to the essential functions, without prejudice to the role of the Member States as regards the determination of the charging framework and the capacity allocation framework and specific charging rules in accordance with Articles 29 and 39.

• - 

  a railway undertaking or any other legal entity within the vertically integrated undertaking has no decisive influence on appointments and dismissals of persons in charge of taking decisions on the essential functions.

• - 

  the mobility of persons in charge of the essential functions does not create conflicts of interest.

• 3. 

  Member States may decide that infrastructure charging and path allocation shall be performed by a charging body and by an allocation body that are independent in their legal form, organisation and decision-making from any railway undertaking. In such a case, Member States may decide not to apply the provisions of Article 7(2) and the third and fourth indents of Article 7(3).

Article 7(3), first indent and Article 7(4) shall apply mutatis mutandis to the heads of divisions in charge of management of the infrastructure and provision of railway services.

• 4. 

  The provisions of this Directive referring to the essential functions of an infrastructure manager shall apply to the independent charging body and/or allocation body.

Article 7b

Impartiality of the infrastructure manager in respect of traffic management and maintenance planning

• 1. 

  Member States shall ensure that the functions of traffic management and maintenance planning shall be exercised in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner and are not affected by any conflict of interest.

Corresponding recital

"In assessing whether a conflict of interest arises, the regulatory body should take into account any personal financial, economic or professional interest which could improperly influence the impartiality of the infrastructure manager".

Corresponding recital

"Where an infrastructure manager and a railway undertaking are independent from each other, but are directly controlled by the same Member State authority, this should not be considered as giving rise to a conflict of interest as defined in this Directive."

• 2. 

  As regards traffic management, Member States shall ensure that railway undertakings have full and timely access to relevant information in cases of disruption concerning them. Where the infrastructure manager grants further access to the traffic management process, it shall do so for the railway undertakings concerned in a transparent and non-discriminatory way.

• 3. 

  As regards the long-term planning of major maintenance and/or renewal of the railway infrastructure, the infrastructure manager shall consult applicants and take into account to the best possible extent the concerns expressed.

The scheduling of maintenance works shall be carried out by the infrastructure manager in a nondiscriminatory way.

Article 7c

Outsourcing and sharing the infrastructure manager’s functions

• 1. 

  Provided that no conflicts of interest arise and the confidentiality of commercially sensitive information is guaranteed, the infrastructure manager may:

(a) outsource functions to a different entity, provided the latter is neither a railway undertaking, nor controls a railway undertaking, nor is controlled by a railway undertaking. Within a vertically integrated undertaking, essential functions shall not be outsourced to any other entity of the vertically integrated undertaking, unless such entity exclusively performs essential functions.

(b) outsource the execution of works and related tasks on development, maintenance and renewal of the railway infrastructure to railway undertakings or companies which control the railway undertaking, or are controlled by the railway undertaking.

The infrastructure manager shall keep the supervisory power over and carry ultimate responsibility for the exercise of the functions described in Article 3(2). Any entity carrying out essential functions shall comply with Articles 7, 7a, 7b and 7d.

• 2. 

  By derogation from Article 7(1), infrastructure management functions may be performed by different infrastructure managers, including parties to public-private partnership arrangements provided that they all fulfil the requirements of Articles 7(2) to (6), 7a, 7b and 7d and assume full responsibility for the exercise of the functions concerned.

2a. When essential functions are not assigned to a power supply operator, it shall be exempted from the rules applicable to infrastructure managers, provided that compliance with the relevant provisions concerning development of the network, in particular Article 8, is ensured.

• 3. 

  Subject to supervision by the regulatory body or any other independent competent body determined by the Member States, an infrastructure manager may conclude cooperation agreements with one or more railway undertakings in a non-discriminatory way and with a view to delivering benefits to customers such as reduced costs or improved performance on the part of the network covered by the agreement.

That body shall monitor the execution of such agreements and may, in justified cases, advise that they should be terminated.

Article 7d

Financial transparency

In addition to Article 6, the following provisions shall apply:

(a) While respecting national procedures applicable in each Member State, income from infrastructure network management activities, including public funds, may be used by the infrastructure manager only to finance its own business, including the servicing of its loans. The infrastructure manager may also use such income to pay dividends to owners of the company, which may include any private shareholders, but excludes undertakings which are part of a vertically integrated undertaking and which exercise control over a railway undertaking and that infrastructure manager.

Corresponding recital

"Infrastructure managers may use income from infrastructure network management activities, which involve the use of public funds, to finance their own business or to pay dividends to their investors, as a return on their investments in railway infrastructure. Such investors may include the State and any private shareholders, but may not include undertakings which are part of a vertically integrated undertaking and which exercise control over a railway undertaking and that infrastructure manager. Dividends generated by activities that do not involve the use of public funds or revenues from charges for the use of railway infrastructure may also be used by undertakings which are part of a vertically integrated undertaking and which exercise control over a railway undertaking and that infrastructure manager."

(b) Infrastructure managers shall not grant loans to railway undertakings, either directly or indirectly.

(bb) Railway undertakings shall not grant loans to infrastructure managers, either directly or indirectly.

(c) Loans between legal entities of a vertically integrated undertaking, shall only be granted, disbursed and serviced at market rates and conditions which reflect the individual risk profile of the entity concerned.

(cc) Loans between legal entities of a vertically integrated undertaking granted before [date of entry into force of this Directive] shall continue until their maturity, provided that they were contracted at market rates and that they are actually disbursed and serviced.

(d) Any services offered by other legal entities of a vertically integrated undertaking to the infrastructure manager shall be based on contracts and be paid either at market prices or at prices which reflect the cost of production, plus a reasonable margin of profit.

(dd) Debts attributed to the infrastructure manager shall be clearly separated from debts attributed to other legal entities within vertically integrated undertakings. These debts shall be serviced separately. This does not prevent that the final payment of debts is made via the undertaking mentioned in Article 3 point 31, first indent, or via an another entity within the undertaking.

(de) The accounts of the infrastructure manager and of the other legal entities within a vertically integrated undertaking shall be kept in a way that ensures the fulfilment of these provisions and allows for separate accounting and transparent financial circuits within the undertaking.

(f) Within vertically integrated undertakings, the infrastructure manager shall keep detailed records of any commercial and financial relations with the other legal entities within that undertaking.

Where essential functions are performed by an independent charging and capacity allocation body in accordance with Article 7a(3) and Member States are not applying Article 7(2), the provisions of this Article shall apply mutatis mutandis. References to infrastructure manager, railway undertaking and other legal entities of a vertically integrated undertaking in Article 7d shall be understood as referring to the respective divisions of the undertaking. Compliance with the requirements set out in Article 7d shall be demonstrated in the separate accounts of the respective divisions of the undertaking.

Article 7e

Coordination mechanisms

Member States shall ensure that appropriate coordination mechanisms are put into place to ensure coordination between their main infrastructure managers and all interested railway undertakings and applicants referred to in Article 8(3). Where relevant, representatives of users of the rail freight and passenger transport services, and national, local/regional authorities, shall be invited to participate. The regulatory body concerned may participate as an observer. The coordination shall concern inter alia:

(a) the needs of applicants related to the maintenance and development of the infrastructure capacity;

(b) the content of the user-oriented performance targets contained in the contractual agreements referred to in Article 30 and of the incentives referred to in Article 30(1) and their implementation;

(c) the content and implementation of the network statement referred to in Article 27;

(d) issues of intermodality and interoperability;

(e) any other issue related to the conditions for access and use of the infrastructure and the quality of the services of the infrastructure manager.

The infrastructure manager shall draw up and publish guidelines for coordination, in consultation with interested parties. Coordination shall take place at least annually and the infrastructure manager shall publish on its website an overview of the activities undertaken pursuant to this article.

Coordination under this article shall be without prejudice to the right of applicants to appeal to the regulatory body and the powers of the regulatory body as set out in Article 56.

Article 7f

European Network of Infrastructure Managers

• 1. 

  With the view to facilitating the provision of efficient and effective rail services within the

Union, Member States shall ensure that their main infrastructure managers participate and cooperate in a network that convenes at regular intervals to:

(a) develop the Union rail infrastructure,

(b) support a timely and efficient implementation of the Single European Railway Area,

(c) exchange best practices,

(d) monitor and benchmark performance,

(e) contribute to the market monitoring activities referred to in Article 15,

(f) tackle cross-border bottlenecks, and

(g) discuss the application of Articles 37 and 40.

For the purpose of point (d), the network shall identify common principles and practices for the monitoring and benchmarking of performance in a consistent manner.

Coordination under this paragraph shall be without prejudice to the right of applicants to appeal to the regulatory body and the powers of the regulatory body as set out in Article 56.

• 2. 

  The Commission shall be a member of the network. It shall support the work of the network and facilitate coordination.

• 5. 

  Article 10 is amended as follows:

(a) a new paragraph 1(a) is added:

"1(a). Without prejudice to the international obligations of the Union and the Member States,

Member States having a border to a third country may limit the right of access provided for in

Article 10 for services operated from/to that third country running on a network whose track gauge is different from the main railway network within the EU if distortions of competition arise in crossborder railway transport between Member States and that third country. Such distortions may result, inter alia, from lack of non-discriminatory access to rail infrastructure and related services in the third country concerned.

If a Member State, in accordance with this paragraph, intends to adopt a decision to limit right of access, it shall submit the draft decision to the European Commission and consult the other Member States accordingly.

If, within a period of three months, neither the Commission nor a Member State formulates objections, the Member State may adopt the decision.

The Commission may adopt measures setting out the details of the procedure and criteria to be followed for the application of this paragraph. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 62(3).

(b) paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:

"2. Without prejudice to Regulation (EC) N°1370/2007, railway undertakings shall be granted, under equitable, non-discriminatory and transparent conditions, the right of access to railway infrastructure in all Member States for the purpose of operating […] rail passenger services.

Railway undertakings shall have the right to pick up passengers at any station and set them down at another. That right shall include access to infrastructure connecting service facilities referred to in point 2 of Annex II."

(c) paragraphs 3 and 4 are deleted.

• 6. 

  Article 11 is amended as follows:

(a) paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:

 ‘1. Member States may limit the right of access provided for in Article 10(2) to passenger services between a given place of departure and a given destination when one or more public service contracts cover the same route or an alternative route if the exercise of this right would compromise the economic equilibrium of the public service contract or contracts in question.’;

(b) the first subparagraph of paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:

'In order to determine whether the economic equilibrium of a public service contract would be compromised, the relevant regulatory body or bodies referred to in Article 55 shall make an objective economic analysis and base its decision on pre-determined criteria. They shall determine this after a request from any of the following, submitted within one month from the information on the intended passenger service referred to in Article 38(4):

(a) the competent authority or competent authorities that awarded the public service

contract;

(b) any other interested competent authority with the right to limit access under this Article;

(c) the infrastructure manager;

(d) the railway undertaking performing the public service contract.

(c) paragraph 3 is replaced by the following:

‘3. The regulatory body shall give the grounds for its decision and the conditions under which a reconsideration of the decision within one month of its notification may be requested by one of the following:

(a) the relevant competent authority or competent authorities;

(b) the infrastructure manager;

(c) the railway undertaking performing the public service contract;

(d) the railway undertaking seeking access.

In case the regulatory body decides that the economic equilibrium of a public contract would be compromised by the intended passenger service referred to in Article 38(4), it shall indicate possible changes to such service which would ensure that the conditions to grant the right of access provided for in Article 10(2) are met.';

(d) In Paragraph 4, a second sentence subparagraph is added as follows:

"The Commission shall adopt comparable measures by [36 months from the entry into force of this Directive] in relation to domestic passenger services."

"Based on the experience of regulatory bodies, competent authorities and railway undertakings, and based on the activities of the network referred to in Article 57(1), the Commission shall adopt by 16 December 2016 2018 measures setting out the details of the procedure and criteria to be followed for the application of paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of this Article as regards domestic passenger services. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 62(3)."

(e) paragraph 5 is replaced by the following:

"5. Member States may also limit the right of access to railway infrastructure for the purpose of operating domestic passenger services between a given place of departure and a given destination within the same Member State when:

• - 

  exclusive rights to convey passengers between these stations have been granted under a public service contract awarded before 16 June 2015 or

• - 

  an additional right/license to operate commercial passenger services in competition with another operator between these stations has been awarded before the end of the transposition period of this Directive on the basis of a fair competitive tendering procedure

and where these operators receive no compensation to operate these services. Such a limitation may continue for the original duration of the contract or license, or 10 years from the date of entry into force of this Directive, whichever is shorter."

6a. The following Article 11a is inserted:

"1. With a view to developing the market for high-speed passenger services, promoting optimal use of available infrastructure, and in order to encourage the competitiveness of highspeed passenger services resulting in beneficial effects for passengers, without prejudice to Article 11(5), the exercise of the right of access provided for in Article 10 as regards high speed passenger services may only be subject to the requirements established by the regulatory body in accordance with this Article.

• 2. 

  Where the regulatory body, following the analysis foreseen in Article 11(2), (3) and (4), determines that the intended high speed passenger service between a given place of departure and a given destination compromises the economic equilibrium of a public service contract that covers the same route or an alternative route, the regulatory body shall indicate possible changes to the service which would ensure that the conditions to grant the right of access provided for in Article 10(2) are met. Such changes may include a modification of the intended service."

Corresponding recital

"The development of railway infrastructure and the improvement of the quality of rail passenger services are key priorities within the framework of promoting a sustainable transport and mobility system in Europe. In particular, the development of a high-speed rail network has the potential to create better and faster connections between Europe’s economic and cultural centres. High-speed rail services link people and markets in a fast, reliable, environmentally-friendly and cost-effective way and encourage a shift of passengers to rail. It is therefore of particular importance to encourage both public and private investments in high speed rail infrastructure, to create favourable conditions for a positive return on investment, and to maximise the economic and social benefits from such investments. It should remain possible for Member States to opt for different ways of promoting investments in high speed rail infrastructure and the use of high speed lines."

Corresponding recital

"With a view to developing the market for high-speed passenger services, promoting optimal use of available infrastructure, and in order to encourage the competitiveness of high-speed passenger services resulting in beneficial effects for passengers, open access for high-speed passenger services should be limited only in specific circumstances and following an objective economic analysis by the regulatory body."

• 7. 

  The following Article 13a is inserted:

‘Article 13a

Common information and through-ticketing schemes

• 1. 

  Without prejudice to Regulation (EC) No 1371/2007 i 10 and Directive 2010/40 i/EU 11 , Member

States may require railway undertakings operating domestic passenger services to participate in a common information and integrated ticketing scheme for the supply of tickets, through-tickets and reservations or decide to give the power to competent authorities to establish such a scheme. If such a scheme is established, Member States shall ensure that it does not create market distortion or discriminate between railway undertakings and that it is managed by a public or private legal entity or an association of all railway undertakings operating passenger services.

• 2. 

  The Commission shall monitor rail market developments concerning the introduction and use of common information and through-ticketing systems and shall assess the need for action at EU level, taking into account market initiatives. It shall consider in particular non-discriminatory access for rail passengers to data necessary to plan journeys and book tickets. By 31 December 2022, it shall present a report to the European Parliament and the Council on the availability of such common information and through-ticketing systems, to be accompanied, if appropriate, by legislative proposals.

• 3. 

  Member States shall require railway undertakings operating passenger services to put in place contingency plans and shall ensure that these contingency plans are properly coordinated to provide assistance to passengers, in the sense of Article 18 of Regulation (EC) No 1371/2007 i, in the event of a major disruption to services.’

Corresponding recital

"Common information and through-ticketing systems developed by the market, which enable passengers to access the data needed to plan journeys and to book tickets within the Union, should be promoted. Given the importance of promoting seamless public transport systems, railway undertakings should be encouraged to work on the development of such systems enabling multimodal, cross-border and door-to-door mobility options."

Corresponding recital

"Through-ticketing systems should be interoperable and non-discriminatory. Railway undertakings should contribute to their development by making available in a non-discriminatory manner and in an interoperable format all relevant data necessary to plan journeys and book tickets. Member

States should ensure that such systems do not discriminate between railway undertakings and respect the need to ensure confidentiality of commercial information, protection of personal data and compliance with competition rules. The Commission should monitor and report on the development of such systems and, where appropriate, take legislative action."

• 8. 

  In Article 38, paragraph 4 is replaced by the following:

'4. Where an applicant intends to request infrastructure capacity with a view to operating a passenger service, in a Member State where the right of access to railway infrastructure is limited in accordance with Article 11, it shall inform the infrastructure managers and the regulatory bodies concerned no less than 18 months before the entry into force of the working timetable to which the request for capacity relates. In order to enable regulatory bodies concerned to assess the potential economic impact on existing public service contracts, regulatory bodies shall ensure that any competent authority that has awarded a rail passenger service on that route defined in a public service contract, any other interested competent authority with the right to limit access under Article

passenger service is informed without undue delay and at the latest within 10 days.’

8a. In Article 19, the following point (e) is added as follows:

"(e) have not been convicted of serious offences arising from obligations in accordance with national law from binding collective agreements, where applicable."

8b. Article 32(4) is amended as follows:

"The infrastructure charges for the use of railway corridors which are specified in Commission

Decision 2009/561/EC i may be differentiated to give incentives to equip trains with the ETCS compliant with the version adopted by the Commission Decision 2008/386/EC i and successive versions. Such differentiation shall not result in any overall increase in revenue for the infrastructure manager.

Member States may decide that this differentiation of infrastructure charges does not apply to railway lines specified in Decision 2009/561/EC i on which only ETCS equipped trains may run."

Member States may decide to extend this differentiation to railway lines not specified in

Decision 2009/561/EC i."

• 9. 

  The following sentence is added to Article 53(3):

'The regulatory body may require the infrastructure manager to make such information available to it, if it deems this necessary'."

• 10. 

  In Article 54, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:

"1. In the event of disturbance to train movements caused by technical failure or accident, the infrastructure manager shall take all necessary steps to restore the situation to normal. To that end, it shall draw up a contingency plan listing the various bodies to be informed in the event of serious incidents or serious disturbance to train movements. In the event of disturbance which has a potential impact on cross-border traffic, the infrastructure manager shall share any relevant information with other infrastructure managers whose network and traffic may be affected by that disturbance. The infrastructure managers concerned shall cooperate to restore the cross-border traffic to normal."

• 11. 

  In Article 56(1), the following letters (h), (i) and (j) are inserted:

"(h) traffic management;

(i) renewal planning and scheduled or unscheduled maintenance;

(j) compliance with the requirements, including those regarding conflicts of interest, set out in

Articles 2(13) and Articles 7, 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d."

• 12. 

  Article 56(2) is modified as follows:

'2. Without prejudice to the powers of the national competition authorities for securing competition in the rail services markets, the regulatory body shall have the power to monitor the competitive situation in the rail services markets, including in particular the market for high-speed passenger services, and the activities of infrastructure managers in relation to points (a) to (j). In particular, the regulatory body shall control points (a) to (j) of paragraph 1 on its own initiative and with a view to preventing discrimination against applicants. It shall, in particular, check whether the network statement contains discriminatory clauses or creates discretionary powers for the infrastructure manager that may be used to discriminate against applicants."

• 13. 

  Reference to "(g)" in paragraph (9) of Article 56 is replaced by a reference to "(j)"."

• 14. 

  Article 56(12) is amended as follows:

"In order to verify compliance with accounting separation provisions laid down in Article 6 and provisions on financial transparency laid down in Article 7d, the regulatory body shall have the power to carry out audits or initiate external audits with infrastructure managers, operators of service facilities and, where relevant, railway undertakings. In the case of vertically integrated undertakings, these powers shall extend to all legal entities. […] The regulatory body shall be entitled to request any relevant information. In particular the regulatory body shall have the power to request infrastructure manager, operators of service facilities and all undertakings or other entities performing or integrating different types of rail transport or infrastructure management as referred to in Article 6(1) and (2) and Article 13 to provide all or part of the accounting information listed in Annex VIII with a sufficient level of detail as deemed necessary and proportionate.

Without prejudice to the powers of the national authorities responsible for State aid issues, the regulatory body may also draw conclusions from the accounts concerning State aid issues which it shall report to those authorities.

Financial flows referred to in Article 7d(a), loans referred to in Article 7d(c) and (cc), and debts referred to in Article 7d(dd) shall be subject to monitoring by the regulatory body.

Where a Member State has designated the regulatory body as the independent competent body referred to in Article 7c(3), the regulatory body shall assess the cooperation agreements referred to in that Article."

• 15. 

  The following text is inserted in Article 57(3a):

'Where matters concerning an international service require decisions of two or more regulatory bodies, the regulatory bodies concerned shall cooperate in preparing their respective decisions in order to bring about a resolution of the matter. For that purpose, the regulatory bodies concerned shall carry out their functions in accordance with Article 56.'

• 16. 

  Article 57(8) is amended as follows:

"8. Regulatory bodies shall develop common principles and practices for making the decisions for which they are empowered under this Directive. Such common principles and practices shall include arrangements for the resolution of disputes that arise within the framework of paragraph 3a. Based on the experience of regulatory bodies and on the activities of the network referred to in paragraph 1, and, if needed, to ensure efficient cooperation of regulatory bodies, the Commission may adopt measures setting out such common principles and practices. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 62(3). "

Corresponding recital

"It is essential that regulatory bodies cooperate where matters concerning international rail services or bi-national rail infrastructure require decisions of two or more regulatory bodies, for the purpose of coordinating their decision-making, with a view to avoiding legal uncertainty and ensuring the efficiency of international rail services."

• 17. 

  A paragraph 10 is added to Article 57:

 “10. For decisions concerning a bi-national infrastructure, both Member States concerned may at any time after the coming into force of this Directive agree to require coordination between the regulatory bodies concerned in order to align the impact of their decisions."

• 18. 

  In Article 63, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:

"1. By 31 December 2024, the Commission shall evaluate the impact of this Directive on the rail sector and shall submit to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions a report on its implementation.

In particular, the report shall evaluate the development of high-speed rail services and assess the existence of discriminatory practices regarding access to high-speed lines. The Commission shall consider the need for legislative action.

By the same date, the Commission shall assess whether discriminatory practices or other types of distortion of competition persist in relation to infrastructure managers which are part of a vertically integrated undertaking. The Commission shall, if appropriate, propose new legislative measures."

Article 2

• 1. 

  Notwithstanding Article 3(2), Member States shall adopt and publish, by 24 36 months after entry into force at the latest, the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive. They shall communicate to the Commission the text of those provisions immediately.

When Member States adopt those provisions, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or be accompanied by such a reference on the occasion of their official publication. Member States shall determine how such reference is to be made.

• 2. 

  Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the main provisions of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.

Article 3

• 1. 

  This Directive shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

"2. Points 5 to 8 of Article 1 shall apply from 1 January 2019 in time for the working timetable starting on 14 December 2020."

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