ESPO and EFIP wish the creation of an only European railway net



The association of marine ports European ESPO and the association of inland port the European EFIP has introduced position paper a kinsman, that we publish in the address book "Forum of the Shipping and the Logistics", in which evidences the main elements of criticality in the operation of the European railway net from the point of view of the marine and internal ports.

Introducing the document, European Sea Ports Organisation and European Federation of Inland Ports they have emphasized that the ports consider the realization of an only European railway net absolutely urgent, a railway Network without barriers of legal, technical and political type that - they have explained two associations - the best way represents in order to guarantee a efficient use of the current ability to rail shipment.

ESPO and EFIP have decided to clarify the opinion of the ports when in political center the proposal of review of the first railway package is on top of the agenda is of the Parliament that of the Council of the EU. The two associations have confirmed the their full support to such proposal and its development.

ESPO and EFIP have evidenced the main criticalities that - second the ports - hinder the operation of the European rail shipment, between which the attention turned in national center to the railway system, the deficiency of investments in oriented railway infrastructures from the question, preferential treatment the come to an agreement to the historical railway societies, the little transparent and fair tariff regimes, insufficient level of reliability of the freight trains not preprogrammed and the inadequacy of infrastructures and the material of connection with the harbour areas. "In order to obviate to these criticalities - he has observed the general secretary of ESPO, Patrick Verhoeven - we support the proposal of the EU commission we turn to simplify the current normative picture of the EU for the railroads. A real European approach will allow to avoid different interpretations by the Member States and will limit the risk to have new barriers".

"The railway connections from and for the harbour areas - it has emphasized the director of the EFIP, Isabelle Ryckbost - would have to be optimized with the objective to guarantee to all the railway societies a not discriminatory access to the harbour areas. The improvement of these connections constitutes an important element in the completion of the net TRIES".

Waiting for to reach the full interoperability of the European railway system, EFIP and ESPO have emphasized the necessity to reach to a pragmatic transazionale acknowledgment of the operating norms to local level to the aim to improve the railway connections between adjacent nations. Moreover the two associations consider that it is necessary to avoid to replace the national barriers with "corridor barriers": the corridor concept - they have explained - would have to be considered which step towards true European railway politics and a true European railway net.