The year 2021 shall be designated as the ‘European Year of Rail’ (the ‘European Year’).
Article 2 -
Objectives
The general objective of the European Year shall be to encourage and support the efforts of the Union, Member States, regional and local authorities, and other organisations to increase the share of passengers and freight moving by rail. The specific objectives of the European Year shall be to:
(a)
promote rail as a sustainable, innovative, interconnected and intermodal, safe and affordable mode of transport, in particular by highlighting the role of rail:
(i)
as a game changer helping to achieve the Union’s climate neutrality objective by 2050;
(ii)
as a pillar of an efficient logistic network, capable of guaranteeing essential services, even during unexpected crises; and
(iii)
as a transport mode that reaches out to the wider public, especially the young, inter alia presenting rail as an attractive career opportunity;
(b)
highlight the European, cross-border dimension of rail, that brings citizens closer together, allows them to explore the Union in all its diversity, fosters socio-economic and territorial cohesion and contributes to integrating the Union internal market, in particular by ensuring better connectivity within and with its geographical periphery, including through regional cross-border connections;
(c)
enhance the contribution of rail to the Union’s economy, to its industry, including to its global competitiveness, to its commerce and to its society, in particular those aspects related to regional and local development, sustainable tourism, education, youth and culture, and to improving accessibility for persons with disabilities or persons with reduced mobility, and in particular paying attention to the needs of elderly people;
(d)
contribute to promoting rail as an important element in relations between the Union and its neighbouring countries, building on interests and needs in partner countries and on expertise in rail transport, both within and beyond the Union;
(e)
build on rail’s power to stimulate the collective imagination, particularly through rail’s history and its cultural heritage, recalling the contribution that rail has made to the creation of European prosperity and the role of the rail in developing cutting-edge technologies;
(f)
promote the attractiveness of the railway professions, in particular by highlighting the demand for new skills and the importance of fair and safe working conditions and of addressing the need to increase diversity in the workforce;
(g)
promote the key role of railways in international passenger transport within the Union;
(h)
promote a Union night train network and encourage initiatives that underline its cross-border nature by using symbols that represent the Union;
(i)
create public awareness of rail’s potential role in the development of sustainable tourism in Europe;
(j)
promote the key role of railways in sustainable end-to-end mobility, connecting hubs and allowing attractive and smart transfer between modes of transport;
(k)
contribute to the implementation of the Fourth Railway Package and to raising awareness of the measures required to establish the single European railway area, based on a well-functioning TEN-T;
(l)
stimulate discussion on how to modernise rolling stock and on how to further develop and increase the capacity of railway infrastructure in order to facilitate the broader use of passenger and freight transport by rail, underlining in that context the importance of the cooperation among infrastructure managers, research and innovation and the role of the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking established by Council Regulation (EU) No 642/2014 (5);
(m)
promote events and initiatives to disseminate information on the rights of rail passengers and to stimulate cooperation among all actors in order to improve customer information and ticketing, including the offer of through-tickets and developing innovative digital multi-modal tickets, as well as to provide information about current challenges in that respect, such as the need for data sharing among actors.
Article 3 -
Content of measures
1. The measures to be taken to achieve the objectives set out in Article 2 shall be closely coordinated with on-going activities promoting rail transport. Those measures shall include the following activities at Union, national, regional or local level, organised in partnerships or individually, and linked to the objectives of the European Year:
(a)
initiatives and events to promote debate, build a positive image, raise awareness and facilitate the engagement of citizens, businesses and public authorities in order to increase trust in rail, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, and to promote the attractiveness of rail for the transport of more people and goods as a means of combating climate change, through multiple channels and tools, including events in Member States, while also highlighting the safety and comfort of travelling by rail;
(b)
initiatives in Members States to encourage, in both the public and private sector, business-travel and commuting patterns by rail;
(c)
informative exhibitions, inspirational, educational and awareness-raising campaigns, as well as the use of demonstration and information trains to encourage changes in passenger, consumer and business behaviour and to stimulate the general public to actively contribute to achieving the objectives of more sustainable transport;
(d)
sharing the experience and best practices of national, regional and local authorities, civil society, businesses and schools as regards promoting the use of rail and on how to implement behavioural change at all levels;
(e)
undertaking studies and innovative activities, and disseminating their results on a European or national scale;
(f)
promoting projects and networks related to the European Year, including via the media, social networks and other online communities;
(g)
partnerships and events such as those set out in the Annex;
(h)
identifying and promoting best practices to create a level-playing field for different modes of transport;
(i)
promoting projects and activities to raise awareness of sustainable end-to-end mobility that delivers seamless ‘door-to-door’ travel solutions in combination with other modes of transport, including active travel, and sustainable and smart logistics;
(j)
promoting projects and activities fostering awareness of the importance of the single European railway area, in particular as regards its on-going implementation, actions facilitating international railway journeys and actions for digital passenger information, such as those providing real-time information about journey offers, fares and timetables, including from independent providers, facilitating comparison; and
(k)
promoting projects and activities with a view to the realisation of an extended, modernised and interoperable railway infrastructure, including a European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), terminals offering modal shift options, as well as modernised rolling stock.
2. The Commission shall consider initiating, during the European Year:
(a)
a study on the feasibility of creating a European label to promote goods and products transported by rail so as to encourage businesses to switch their transport to rail; and
(b)
a feasibility study with a view to introducing a rail connectivity index, with the aim of categorising the level of integration achieved through the use of services on the rail network and showing the potential of rail to compete with other modes of transport.
By 31 March 2021, the Commission shall inform the European Parliament and the Council of its plans.
3. The Union institutions and bodies, as well as Member States, at Union and national level respectively, may refer to the European Year and make use of its visual identity in promoting the activities referred to in paragraph 1.
Article 4 -
Coordination at Member State level
The organisation of participation in the European Year at national level is a responsibility of Member States. They shall ensure the coordination of relevant activities at national level and shall appoint national contact persons to ensure coordination at Union level.
Article 5 -
Coordination at Union level
1. The Commission shall regularly convene meetings of the national contact persons in order to coordinate the running of the European Year. Those meetings shall also serve as opportunities to exchange information regarding the implementation of the European Year at Union and national level. Representatives of the European Parliament may participate in those meetings as observers.
2. The coordination of the European Year at Union level shall be transversal in approach with a view to creating synergies between the various Union programmes and initiatives that fund projects in the field of rail transport or that have a rail dimension.
3. The Commission shall convene regular meetings of stakeholders and representatives of organisations or bodies active in the field of rail transport, including existing transnational networks, relevant non-governmental organisations, universities and technology centres, as well as representatives of youth organisations and communities, organisations representing persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility, to assist it in implementing the European Year at Union level.
4. The Commission may, if the budget allows, organise calls for proposals and projects that can receive support for their outstanding contribution to the objectives of the European Year.
Article 6 -
International cooperation
For the purpose of the European Year, the Commission shall, where necessary, cooperate with competent international organisations, while ensuring the visibility of the Union’s participation.
Article 7 -
Monitoring and evaluation
By 31 December 2022, the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament, to the Council, to the European Economic and Social Committee and to the Committee of the Regions on the implementation, results and overall assessment of the initiatives provided for in this Decision. For the evaluation of the initiatives, the Commission shall establish key performance indicators. Those key performance indicators shall be set out in the Commission’s report. For the purpose of that report, Member States shall provide information to the Commission on the activities for which they have been responsible.
Article 8 -
Entry into force
This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
