Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-05-16-Speech-2-274"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20000516.11.2-274"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, Commissioner, honourable Members, I should like to start by thanking the rapporteur, Mr Savary, and all the members involved for their excellent and constructive cooperation on this difficult, purely technical subject. The number of proposed amendments tabled, including here in plenary, shows how important this issue is for Europe, which is why I can also praise the Commission for addressing the subject of the interoperability of conventional trains as well as of high-speed trains. I think it is a pity that few Member States have transposed the interoperability directive with regard to high-speed trains and I call on the Commission to exert pressure to prevent the loss of valuable time which is costing the railways in terms of market shares and competition.
The directive is even more important where conventional trains are concerned. The aim of the directive – as with high-speed trains – is to harmonise technical provisions in order to ensure that conventional rail traffic within the Union runs as smoothly as possible and to give candidate countries really exact specifications so that through traffic is also guaranteed after enlargement. Interoperability will also have many advantages for both passengers and freight transport. Better services, greater comfort, less travelling time, increased safety and possibly also lower prices. The harmonisation of technical standards is also needed for the long overdue liberalisation of the railways. Both together, interoperability and liberalisation, are most important if the railways are to survive in the internal market.
I am delighted that we have succeeded with the rapporteur and numerous other members in finding a good, common line on most aspects of this very demanding subject and would like to thank them for that. This applies above all to the initially highly disputed derogations from the TSIs, but also to the social dimension of this directive, where we were finally able to achieve a compromise. Nonetheless, – and we in the group of the European People’s Party and European Democrats continue to believe that we are right here – generally-worded social aspects do not belong in this purely technical directive, even if the Commission and the Council may think otherwise. We are likewise opposed to involving passengers in working out TSIs. Including these aspects will only result in the directive being difficult or impossible to manage.
Finally, a few other proposed amendments have been tabled, which we consider are quite simply too bureaucratic and have no positive aspects to boot. In short, our group is against any elements which are counterproductive when it comes to achieving the important objective of an efficient European railway, as outlined above. Allow me in closing to highlight the excellent cooperation once again; I am optimistic that together we shall achieve the objective of creating as smooth a railway system as possible."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples