Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-02-15-Speech-2-055-000"
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"en.20110215.4.2-055-000"2
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"Mr President, it is a pleasure for me to take part in this debate on the proposal for a regulation on the rights of passengers in bus and coach transport. This is a very important moment, as our discussions on this legislative act are coming to a close after two years.
Let me congratulate you on a job well done.
First of all, on behalf of the Council, I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to the European Parliament for its cooperation and for the sprit of compromise that allowed us to reach an agreement in the Conciliation Committee to the benefit of EU bus and coach passengers, in particular, as regards disabled persons and passengers with reduced mobility.
The discussions among the three institutions have not been easy, but they were always constructive and guided by a spirit of compromise. The joint text on which an agreement was reached at the Conciliation Committee meeting, and which will hopefully be adopted today, represents a compromise across political groups. Therefore, I would like to pay tribute to all involved in the work on this legislative proposal and, in particular, to Vice-President Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, Brian Simpson – Chair of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, Mr Cancian – the rapporteur, and the shadow rapporteurs, for their work. Together, they have had to bring the legislative process to a successful outcome.
My thanks also go to Commissioner Kallas and his team and to their counterparts from the secretariats in Parliament and the Council. Together, they worked tirelessly in helping to move things forward. Last but not least, I would like to express my appreciation for the excellent work of the Belgian Presidency in securing the necessary support within the Council for the compromise reached in the Conciliation Committee.
I am convinced that the joint text resulting from the Conciliation Committee meeting represents a fair balance between the rights of passengers in bus and coach transport and the interests of carriers, most of which are small- and medium-sized enterprises.
In the Council’s view, the main objective of the regulation is to grant rights to passengers travelling on regular services where the scheduled distance is equal to, or more than, 250 kilometres. Furthermore, a guaranteed number of rights will apply independently of the distance travelled. The new rules focus, in particular, on helping disabled persons and passengers with reduced mobility.
In the discussions between the three institutions, we were able to find mutually acceptable solutions on a number of difficult issues, namely the scope, the rights of passengers in the event of cancellations or delays, compensation and assistance in the event of accidents, provisions easing the transition to the new rules, and finally, the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility.
As you already know, the Council approved the joint text at its meeting on 31 January 2011. This legislative act will therefore be signed tomorrow. Its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union can be expected in March.
Mr President, lastly I should like to congratulate Mr Cancian on his excellent work."@en1
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