EP AND COUNCIL STILL FAR FROM AN AGREEMENT ON RAIL CAPACITY
On 18 March, the European Parliament’s Rapporteur on the Rail Capacity Regulation, Tilly Metz MEP (Greens, LU), provided an update to the Transport and Tourism Committee on the latest developments in the ongoing trilogue negotiations.
Ms Metz described the talks, which have so far focused mainly on governance issues, as challenging, with the co-legislators still far from reaching an agreement. Despite this, technical trilogues are continuing on a weekly basis, as several key issues remain unresolved. She noted that the outcome of the negotiations will largely depend on the Council’s willingness to compromise, criticising the Council for providing limited justification for its positions, which has made it difficult to advance discussions.
She reaffirmed the Parliament’s opposition to further fragmentation of the European rail system and expressed hope that the trilogue negotiations could be concluded under the Polish Presidency.
CLECAT considers the Regulation is a crucial step toward improving the reliability of rail freight services, strengthening European supply chains, and boosting the broader economy. The proposed Regulation aims to transition railway capacity management from a manual, national, and rigid system to one that is digital, international, and flexible - reflecting the realities of modern freight transport, where over 50% of trains cross national borders.