Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-01-17-Speech-3-197"
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"en.20070117.11.3-197"2
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"Thank you very much, Mr President, I also wish to congratulate you on your election and wish you all the best in your new post.
The liberalisation of rail transport is something that needs to be brought about, but progress has been painstaking. We must therefore keep up the effort to move ever closer to a European rail services market, which will help us implement the important objectives of the common transport policy.
In this regard, I should like to congratulate our rapporteurs on their outstanding work. Although, for many, trains still have an image of romanticism and adventure derived partly from the famous Orient Express, the fact is that they are a safe, environmentally friendly means of transport that is adept at moving large quantities of goods quickly and at conveying large numbers of people comfortably and equally quickly. The dream of rail services from the Atlantic to the Baltic and Black Seas remains a distant one, as we continue to come up against major obstacles to effective freedom of movement in the rail sector.
The problem remains of discrepancies between, for example, gauges inside and outside the Iberian Peninsula, as do those of the management of internal and international traffic and of ticketing, which are not easy matters to resolve. We face enormous difficulties and, without the will of the Member States, we will not be able to overcome them. Congestion in Central Europe and the accessibility of Europe’s outlying regions are intimately linked.
If we want to see the economic growth of our countries, joint measures are required whereby development in one area ties in with progress in another. The funding approved for the Trans-European Networks does not fill us with overwhelming enthusiasm. We must therefore derive some satisfaction from the progress for which we shall hopefully vote tomorrow.
In its diversity, Parliament is doing its best, but the Council must respond positively to this impetus for progress and for the liberalisation of rail transport. How can this be achieved? It can be achieved by acknowledging that the deadlines for opening up the networks are reasonable and by not imposing unfair economic restrictions on this process; by accepting compromise solutions for existing concessions and for public service obligations; by agreeing to the rules on the certification of onboard staff in the interests of the security of people and property; and lastly by ensuring universal protection for the rights of all passengers. Along with quality of service, this is the best way of attracting people to this means of transport, thereby ensuring its development and continued employment for those working in the sector."@en1
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