Fourth Railway Package - Main contents
To ensure that new entrants and smaller operators are able to fulfil public service contracts, a minimum number of public service contracts to be awarded in a member state would be set, based on national market volume of rail passenger transport under public service contracts.
To save time and cut costs related to vehicle authorizations and safety certification of railway operators, the European Railway Agency i would be responsible, after a four-year transition period, for authorizing vehicles to be placed on the market and for issuing a single safety certificate to all railway operators, with the exception for “isolated networks” (Baltic States). A clear division of tasks between the agency and national authorities during the transition period would be established.
The Agency could delegate specific tasks and responsibilities to national safety authorities on the basis of contractual agreements but it would have to take the final decision in all authorization procedures.
Member states may continue to choose between an integrated structure with a single holding company for the rail operator and infrastructure manager or the separation of infrastructure managers and operators, and regulatory oversight rules are strengthened.
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