Council of the European Union Brussels, 22 November 2017 (OR. en) 12442/17 Interinstitutional File: ADD 3 REV 1 2017/0237 (COD) TRANS 370 CODEC 1477 CONSOM 307 COVER NOTE From: Secretary-General of the European Commission, signed by Mr Jordi AYET PUIGARNAU, Director date of receipt: 21 November 2017 To: Mr Jeppe TRANHOLM-MIKKELSEN, Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union No. Cion doc.: SWD(2017) 318 final/2 Subject: COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT IMPACT ASSESSMENT Accompanying the document Proposal for a Regulation from the European Parliament and the Council on rail passengers' rights and obligations (recast) Delegations will find attached document SWD(2017) 318 final/2. Encl.: SWD(2017) 318 final/2 12442/17 ADD 3 REV 1 TA/el DGE 2A EN EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 21.11.2017 SWD(2017) 318 final/2 CORRIGENDUM This document corrects document SWD(2017) 318 final of 27.9.2017 Missing annexes are added The text shall read as follows: COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT IMPACT ASSESSMENT Accompanying the document Proposal for a Regulation from the European Parliament and the Council on rail passengers' rights and obligations (recast) EN EN Table of Contents 1 WHAT IS THE PROBLEM AND WHY IS IT A PROBLEM? ........................... 5 1.1 Policy Context and Key Problems at Stake ................................................... 5 1.2 Description of the main problems linked to the current application of the rail passenger rights legislation (Part I) ........................................... 11 1.2.1 Major issues with the regulation .................................................................. 11 1.2.1.1 Problems linked to the scope of the rail passenger rights legislation (Exemptions) ................................................................................ 11 1.2.1.2 Problems linked to the protection of passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility .................................................................... 14 1.2.1.3 Information for passengers about their rights and passenger awareness ...................................................................................... 17 1.2.1.4 Compensation and assistance to passengers in case of missed connections, delays or cancellations ................................................ 19 1.2.1.5 Enforcement: NEB complaint handling and cooperation ........... 22 1.2.2 Secondary issues with the regulation ........................................................... 23 1.2.2.1 Discrimination on the basis of nationality, residence or currency .......................................................................................................... 23 1.2.2.2 Definitions ........................................................................................ 24 1.2.2.3 CIV .................................................................................................... 25 1.2.2.4 Assistance in case of major disruptions (contingency planning) ......................................................................................................... 26 1.2.2.5 Complaint handling by railway undertakings .............................. 27 1.3 Description of the main problems linked to the issue of "force majeure" (Part II – see Figure I) ................................................................. 27 How would the problem evolve, all things being equal? (Baseline) .......... 31 1.4.1 Part I – problems linked to the current application of the rail passenger rights legislation ............................................................. 31 1.4.2 Part II –problems linked to the issue of "force majeure" ................ 34 2 WHY SHOULD THE EU ACT? ............................................................................ 35 3 WHAT SHOULD BE ACHIEVED? (PART I) .................................................... 37 3.1 General policy objective ................................................................................ 37 Specific objectives .......................................................................................... 37 3.2 Interrelation with other EU policies .............................................................. 38 4 WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS OPTIONS TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES? (PART I) ....................................................................................... 39 4.1 Methodology of the policy options construction (PART I) ........................ 39 4.2 Retained regulatory policy measures........................................................... 40 Measures regarding the protection of passenger rights ....................................... 44 1 Discrimination on the basis of nationality, residence or currency ...................... 44 4.3 Other (discarded) potential policy measures .............................................. 45 4.4 Policy options addressing the problems linked to the current application of the Regulation (Part I of the problem definition) .............. 46 Major issues .................................................................................................... 46 Secondary issues ............................................................................................. 48 5 WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS OF THE DIFFERENT POLICY OPTIONS AND HOW DO THE OPTIONS COMPARE? (PART I) ................ 48 5.1 General methodological considerations ....................................................... 48 Issues linked to the economic analysis ................................................................... 48 5.2 Analysis of policy options .............................................................................. 50 Measures to address major issues ................................................................ 50 Policy scenarios to address issues linked to the scope of the rail passengers legislation (exemptions for all passengers)................... 50 Policy scenarios to address issues linked to PRM rights .............................. 54 Policy scenarios to address issues linked information provisions for all passengers .................................................................................... 61 Policy scenarios to address issues linked to the compensation and assistance to passengers in case of missed connections, delays or cancellations ...................................................................... 64 Policy scenarios to address issues linked to the complaint handling and enforcement (NEB complaint handling and cooperation) ...................................................................................... 66 Measures to address secondary issues ......................................................... 66 Policy scenario to address issues linked to discrimination on the basis of nationality, residence or currency ...................................... 66 Policy scenario to address issues linked to clarification of unclear definitions .......................................................................................... 67 Policy scenario to address issues linked to uniform rules concerning the Contract for International Carriage of Passengers and Luggage by Rail (CIV) ..................................................................... 68 Policy scenario to address issues linked to contingency planning ............... 68 Policy scenario to address issues linked to right to redress .......................... 69 Policy scenario to address issues linked to complaint handling for railway undertakings ....................................................................... 69 5.3 The preferred policy option .......................................................................... 69 6 PROBLEMS LINKED TO THE ISSUE OF "FORCE MAJEURE" (PART II) ................................................................................................................. 76 6.1 What should be achieved? ............................................................................ 76 General policy objective ................................................................................ 76 Specific objectives .......................................................................................... 76 6.2 What are the various options to achieve the objectives? ........................... 76 2 Retained policy measures addressing the problems linked to "force majeure" ........................................................................................... 76 Policy option/scenarios addressing the problems linked to the "force majeure" ........................................................................................... 77 6.3 What are the impacts of the different policy options (scenarios) and how do they compare? .................................................................................... 78 General methodological considerations ........................................................ 78 Issues linked to the economic analysis .......................................................... 78 Analysis of policy scenarios addressing the problems linked to "force majeure" ........................................................................................... 78 7 MONITORING AND EVALUATION .................................................................. 82 ANNEX 1: PROCEDURAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE PROCESS TO PREPARE THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT AND THE RELATED INITIATIVE ..................................................................... 90 Evidence used in the impact assessment ................................................................ 96 External expertise