During 2019 the work in the ERA PRM TSI working party has come to a final result. After several years of quite intense work a number of improvements are proposed. The new regulation will be decided probably in June 2020. The results are, apart from rules concerning functional working of railway carriages and station service…
EPF Admin
With the review of the Air Services Regulation, (EC) 1008/2008, and of other acquis with a relevance to air travel, EPF has been focussed on the case for further safeguarding price transparency and improving competition for passengers. Chris Irwin represented EPF as the keynote speaker at a breakfast event in the European Parliament on the…
The Netherlands Government has submitted a position paper to the European Commission that sets out plans for the development of international passenger rail. It follows a high-level meeting, mainly with representatives of Member States and the Commission, that was organised towards the end of last year by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management.…
On 12-13 February, the new EU-funded project INDIMO (Inclusive Digital Mobility Solutions) kicked off its activities in Brussels. EPF is glad and excited to be part of the project team. INDIMO’s main objective is to extend the benefits of digitally interconnected transport systems to people that currently face barriers to using such systems. INDIMO will…
A major milestone for automated vehicles (AVs) was reached at the end of January with the launch of the SHOW (SHared automation Operating models for Worldwide adoption) project. Coordinated by UITP, SHOW brings together 69 partners from 13 EU countries – including EPF – to support the deployment of shared, connected and electrified automation in…
This month our new team member, Sandra Lima, started working in our secretariat offices in Ghent. Sandra comes from the north of Portugal and has been living in Belgium for more than two years. She is no stranger to European Affairs and project management, having worked in the Council of the European Union, in Social…
EPF is keen to ensure that the various competition authorities make safeguarding passengers’ interests a precondition for authorising the proposed merger between Eurostar and Thalys. Members were updated at their General Meeting in January on constructive exchanges that have already taken place with DG COMP. As we recorded last month, EPF recognises that the merger…
PRO BAHN, one of the members of EPF, organized on 16.12.2019, a one-day-conference on passenger rights. During the morning, Erki Must, former staff member of the European Court of Auditors (now staff member of DG MOVE), presented the special report on passenger rights 30/2018, which has been published on 08.11.2018. In the afternoon, Elisabeth Kotthaus, head…
Eurostar/Thalys merger proposal: what will be the consequences for the passengers? Following discussions in October between a delegation from EPF and the team in the European Commission’s powerful Competition department responsible for transport, EPF undertook to give thought to the implications for passengers of the proposed merger of Thalys and Eurostar which had just been…
EPF’s 2020 annual conference will take place in Strasbourg on 5 & 6 June. The programme will focus on European cross-border links benefiting for customers. A small preview. Working sessions: ‘Institutions’: with representatives of the European Commission, the European Court of Auditors and the Independent Regulators Group ‘Operators’: night trains (e.g. ÖBB) – European road…
EPF has responded to the European Commission’s consultation on urban mobility. In EPF’s view, it is very important to have an urban mobility policy at EU level. Whereas the local level has the best local knowledge, their financial situation is often not that solid and infrastructure investments have to compete with other social expenses. Permanent EU…
Anyone interested in transport innovations with social character and new business models favouring inclusive and participative mobility, will be pleased to hear that the new HiReach newsletter is out! HiReach is a 3-year Research and Innovation Action (RIA) from 2017 to 2020 funded under Horizon 2020 focusing on the development of new tools and business models…