01 October 2013

CLECAT calls on Council not to undermine the European authorisation process through leading NSAs!

CLECAT, the Brussels based organisation representing the interests of freight forwarders and logistics service providers, calls on the Council to make real progress on the Safety Directive and the European Railway Agency (ERA) Regulation. 

CLECAT believes that the only possible way towards a Single European Railway Area is through ERA acting as a one stop-shop for the vehicle and ERTMS authorisation, and Safety Certification.  In line with recent calls from the railway industry, CLECAT rejects alternative approaches, such as the one currently being developed by some Member States which propose NSAs cooperating amongst themselves as “leading NSA”.   CLECAT fears that such an approach, that will be discussed in the near future under the Lithuanian Presidency, would undermine the concept of a European authorisation. 

Nicolette van der Jagt, Director General of CLECAT noted: ‘The European Railway Agency acting in future as the single railway authority and one-stop-shop in the European Union is vitally-needed for harmonised, simplified and far less costly operational cross-border processes to finally allow the railways to become more competitive and to achieve a Single European Railway Area .’

Finally, CLECAT calls on the Council to consider the 4th Railway Package as a package of interrelates components, relating to governance and technical harmonisation, as this remains in our view the best possible way for the rail sector to engage in structural reforms to deliver growth, jobs and efficient solutions for EU companies and a better quality of service.