Activity Report
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
The Voice of European Railways ACTIVITY REPORT 2019 There is a deep sense of pride among the rail information but also train driving, rolling stock, community as we see the technology we operate infrastructure assets and traffic management will all every day being the most effective answer to the be heavily impacted. The entire rail system will be challenges global mobility is facing at present. radically transformed, the way we do business, the way we accompany our passengers and the way Beyond policymakers’ inner circles, an ever wider we take care of the goods we transport every step cohort of citizens is vocally requesting that efficient of the way throughout their journeys. A seamless mobility solutions be provided at reasonable prices cooperation with other modes of transport will be Foreword while respecting the highest standards in terms of one of the many positive spill-overs of this revolution. safety and sustainability. Commuters need to be able to travel quickly between regional peripheries and Safety, sustainability, quality: three words that urban hubs. Long-distance travellers must be allowed describe what we have to offer to EU policymakers, CRISTER to hop between city centres. Goods should reach and for which we ask their support. Three words transcontinental destinations on the most safe and that are a somewhat brief description of the solution FRITZSON secure means of transport available on the market. that is at hand, and yet still needs to be treated fairly, CER Chair respected, promoted. As a result, every day more customers – both individual travellers and logistics operators - start to Now write down this date (we certainly did): by actively choose rail over other modes of transport. June 2020, the full implementation of the technical pillar of the Fourth Railway Package will ensure that Is this a recognition of railways’ readiness to provide remaining administrative barriers are significantly quality mobility solutions? Yes, to some extent – reduced, and open the door for a Single European but not only. More than that, we take it as a call on Rail Area to become reality. We look forward to fully railways to continue improving. exploiting this wonderful opportunity by delivering exactly what we promised: safety, sustainability and To respond to this call, railways are investing in quality. We are sure EU legislators will be our allies in modernising their infrastructure, rolling stock and this endeavour. service delivery. In particular, railways are embracing the digital revolution and its consequences in Better railways bring our Union closer: let this be our terms of technological transition: booking systems, most sincere wish for the work of this brand-new sales services, ticket distribution systems, traffic legislature. 2 citizens and stakeholders in suspense as they waited Europe as well as beyond. Aware of their societal role for clarity on the distribution of responsibilities as large employers, our members are also committed between different Commissioners, their ambitions to the European Sectoral Social Dialogue for Railways, for the years to come, and the way in which EU and to making the sector more attractive to women. policymaking would be resumed. These actions however will serve little purpose if But now it is 2020 and all EU institutions are back in they are not accompanied by the right policy mix. business – and CER with them. Digitalisation must also be fostered by targeted Foreword initiatives from the European Commission. Funding The activity report you have in your hands testifies from EU budgets must be proportionate to the to the association’s good use of the past months by sustainability ambitions of the Union. Modal shift engaging in an important reflection about what is must be promoted, and rail must be enabled to play a LIBOR needed if the Union wants to respect its commitment heavier role in European logistics. And, most of all, it is to an ever more sustainable EU economy, more paramount that policymakers take action to redress, LOCHMAN efficient and customer-oriented services, and a more once and for all, the many legal frameworks in all fields CER Executive Director inclusive society. (‘user-pays’ and ‘polluter-pays’ principles, energy, taxation, customer rights, workers’ social conditions) The Commission Communication on a European that today put an unacceptable burden on society and Green Deal published in December 2019 echoes the prevent railways from gaining a competitive edge. messages put forward in the document that CER had EU politics in 2019 was dominated by the overall issued just a few months earlier: Ever better railways We will reiterate these messages in the coming change of the political landscape. The election of a for an ever more sustainable Europe – the CER Policy months, while we continue our exchange with new European Parliament brought one of the highest Agenda 2019-2024. the institutions on the European Green Deal and turnover rates in its history. The outcome? Roughly the upcoming Strategy for sustainable and smart half of its members are now making their first steps as In there, we the railways commit to continue mobility. We will do our utmost to remain a consistent EU legislators. improving our services, by embracing digitalisation interlocutor, a reliable source of information, a fair for more customer-oriented services in both the partner in each discussion on new policies. On top of that we witnessed a particularly complex passenger and freight markets. We commit to further debate between Member States over the formation reduce our carbon footprint. We commit to explore In this context I would like to thank our members for of the new College of Commissioners. The process new models for financing our projects and operations, their support and greet our readers: we look forward took over six months to complete and kept European and to look for new commercial opportunities in to working with you! 3 CONTENT 5 6 9 10 12 14 16 17 18 4 CER is the European THE VOICE OF EUROPEAN RAILWAYS association that represents the entire Recognised as the voice of European railways for more than 30 years, CER’s role is to represent the interests of its railway system. members by actively providing an input to EU policy, in particular to support an improved business and regulatory environment for European railway undertakings and infrastructure managers. Founded in 1988 OUR MISSION 71% Represent the interests of our Based in Brussels members on the EU policy- making scene to support of the European rail Staffed by 20 an improved business and network length employees of regulatory environment various nationalities for European railway undertakings and railway 7.2% 8.7% infrastructure companies. National Other associations 76% CER MEMBERSHIP CER members and partners come from 17.4% EU-27, the United Kingdom, Norway, of the European Passenger Switzerland, EU candidate countries rail freight business operators (Albania, the Republic of North Macedonia, 31.9% Integrated Montenegro, Serbia), as well as Bosnia companies and Herzegovina. CER also has partners in Georgia, Israel, Japan, Moldova, and Ukraine. 11.6% Its diverse membership includes 92% Freight railway undertakings and their national operators associations, infrastructure companies, path allocating bodies and vehicle leasing 10.1% 13% companies, including long-established of rail passenger Passenger and Infrastructure companies, new entrants, and both private freight operators managers and public-sector organisations. operations in Europe 5 CER ACTIVITIES IN 2019 January February March Communications & partnerships Meetings & events Communication & partnerships • CER and the Romanian Presidency • CER meets with ITF Secretary • CER speaks at a Shift2Rail event • CER takes part in the spring of the EU hold their joint event General Young Tae Kim. on the future of rail research and ERRAC Plenary meeting. looking at the question of transport • The Digital Transport & Logistics innovation. financing. Forum, including CER as a member, • Catherine Trautmann receives the Meetings & events • CER takes part in a roundtable kicks off its second mandate. European Railway Award 2019 at • CER meets Latvian Transport on the digitalisation of railways, • CER, EIM, and UIC Chairs and the annual ceremony organised by Minister Talis Linkaits. bringing together for the first Directors hold coordination CER and UNIFE and followed by • The Group of Representative time the European Commission meeting in Paris. their annual reception. Bodies (GRB) holds their annual Directors-General of DG MOVE, • The CER General Assembly meets event with the Executive Director Henrik Hololei, and DG CONNECT, Meetings & events in Brussels, where members of the European Union Agency for Roberto Viola, with rail sector • CER participates in the European endorse its Policy Agenda 2019- Railways (ERA), Josef Doppelbauer, representatives. Commission’s first Transport Cyber 2024. this time dedicated to the • CER meets with Moldovan Railways Security Conference. • CER attends the high-level DG implementation of the Fourth and the Moldovan Ministry of • CER and Dutch Railways NS MOVE conference ‘Multimodal Railway Package’s Technical Pillar. Economy and Infrastructure on organise a panel debate at the transport - towards the future’ • CER contributes to two high-level their planned railway reform. Dutch Permanent Representation closing the year of multimodality. conferences: ‘Space for Innovation to the EU discussing how rail can in rail’, jointly