Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-01-17-Speech-3-168"
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"en.20070117.9.3-168"2
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"Mr President, Madam President-in-Office of the Council, Commissioner, as my group’s rapporteur for the directive on the certification of train drivers, I wish sincerely to support the approach set out by Mr Savary. For much of the way, the Council has, of course, agreed with Parliament’s approach from first reading, so there remain only a few outstanding points on which we can disagree. The fact is that a common framework for the training of drivers is a logical consequence of the forms of liberalisation already adopted. The big debate has been about who is to be covered by the Directive on the certification of train drivers. Is it to be exclusively train drivers, or other staff too? My group is satisfied with the outcome now before us. A proper balance has been found whereby train drivers and other staff with a direct involvement in safety are covered. We also think it important for train drivers to be able to have access to data on themselves. It is a simple issue of legal certainty, and we attach importance to the proposal that training costs should be refunded if the driver changes jobs shortly after being trained. The fact is that the training is expensive, and we must not create a system in which a number of train companies can freewheel and systematically avoid paying training costs by recruiting newly trained staff from other companies. I very much hope that, tomorrow, there will be a large enough majority here in Parliament in favour of the Jarzembowski report’s proposal on the liberalisation of passenger transport.
Liberalisation is necessary, and not just of the 5% of passenger transport that crosses borders but also of national passenger transport. It is necessary if trains in the EU are to be able to deliver a sufficiently competitive alternative to other forms of transport and, in so doing, provide more environmentally friendly and energy-saving transport. What happens when liberalisation takes place and free competition is brought about? The passenger is put first, of course. Punctual trains and good comfortable transport become main objectives and, instead of just being the stuff of slogans and advertisements, become integral to the self-image of the entire train company, which recognises that without customers there is no business. Passenger rights must apply not only to cross-border, but also to national, transport. Mr Sterckx has clearly shown that there is no sense in distinguishing between passenger rights in relation to, respectively, national and international transport. In Denmark, train companies have taken the lead and have already adopted the proposals on passenger rights in the event of delays that we in Parliament have put forward – something, then, that obviously can be done."@en1
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