Friday, 6 September 2013 - 03:16
Objections to European decision railroad traffic
Netherlands goes to the European Court of Justice to request more room to define the European rules for international rail traffic.According to the European Commission, the Netherlands made the rules too strict, but Secretary Wilma Mansveld disagrees. She states this in a letter she wrote to parliament on Thursday.
Frans Timmermans, Minister of Foreign Affairs will raise the matter before the Court. Regulations in our country stipulate that at least 75 percent of the passengers of an international railway should cross the border.
Thalys_4343_Koeln
Qualle
Wikimedia commons This is for example the case with the Thalys, but the rule would also apply to the now inoperative Fyra connection with Brussels. The rules also stipulate that international connections should not interfere with national arrangements. The Netherlands have made the rules too restrictive, which is not beneficial from a competitive stand point. Furthermore, the Committee believes that the Netherlands should not define the Directive any further. The Netherlands want to hear from the Court of Justice to what extent it may be restricted. The Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) monitors compliance with the rules in the Netherlands. This watchdog is currently exploring if the possible arrival of the Low Countries Line - a connection of Arriva between The Hague and Brussels - creates unfair competition. The trains traveling the Low Countries Line, will make frequent stops and possibly also transport domestic passengers. On the majority of the Dutch tracks only the NS is allowed to offer domestic passenger travel.
Qualle
Wikimedia commons This is for example the case with the Thalys, but the rule would also apply to the now inoperative Fyra connection with Brussels. The rules also stipulate that international connections should not interfere with national arrangements. The Netherlands have made the rules too restrictive, which is not beneficial from a competitive stand point. Furthermore, the Committee believes that the Netherlands should not define the Directive any further. The Netherlands want to hear from the Court of Justice to what extent it may be restricted. The Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) monitors compliance with the rules in the Netherlands. This watchdog is currently exploring if the possible arrival of the Low Countries Line - a connection of Arriva between The Hague and Brussels - creates unfair competition. The trains traveling the Low Countries Line, will make frequent stops and possibly also transport domestic passengers. On the majority of the Dutch tracks only the NS is allowed to offer domestic passenger travel.
