Recast of the first rail freight package
Recast of the first rail freight package

Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Lords: European Union Committee

Publisher: The Stationery Office

Published: 2009-06-02

Total Pages: 44

ISBN-13: 9780108444302

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In 2001, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament adopted the so-called First Railway Package. Comprising three Directives, this was intended to open up the rail freight market to competition and help to improve rail's share of the overall freight market. However, in 2006 the Commission published a report concluding that the implementation of the Package was inadequate and has committed itself to recasting the Package. In this report, the Committee looks at which elements of the Package need amending and which need clarification. The report recommends the Commission use the recast to require the full separation of railway infrastructure managers from rail train operators. Full separation is the surest way to remove market distortions and to create the conditions necessary for increased rail freight. The recast of the Package should include more detailed provisions about the powers and remits of regulators, which should be independent of government. The Committee recommends that the Commission does not propose establishing an EU-level regulator. Charges levied for use of rail infrastructure and access to rail-related services such as sidings, marshalling yards and fuelling stations vary across Europe and this has hindered growth. The report recommends that the Commission include in the recast mandatory definitions of which costs can and cannot be included in infrastructure charges. The Committee supports recasting the Package, believing the aim of an open and competitive rail market can be achieved and international rail freight can be encouraged further.

Tunnel vision?
Tunnel vision?

Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Lords: European Union Committee

Publisher: The Stationery Office

Published: 2011-12-08

Total Pages: 60

ISBN-13: 9780108474002

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The Channel Tunnel's full potential is yet to be unlocked. Focusing particularly on the Channel Tunnel's role in connecting the passenger and freight rail network in Europe, the Committee's seven-month long inquiry has heard from a variety of rail experts including the Chief Executive of Eurostar, representatives from Eurotunnel and Deutsche Bahn and Transport Minister Theresa Villiers MP. The key recommendations from the committee are: i) the EU should ensure the full implementation of the Railway Packages in all Member States, to ensure fair access for all; ii) the terms of the Treaty of Canterbury (the agreement that allowed the Channel Tunnel's construction) should be reviewed, in order to move towards direct governance of the Tunnel by the UK and French national regulators; iii) safety standards used across the EU should apply in full in the Tunnel; iv) access charges should be reviewed and reduced, to ensure a better deal for operators and passengers; v) Border controls should be examined and streamlined, to encourage new international services to be developed; vi) priority for EU funding for rail infrastructure should be given to projects contributing to economic growth at a critical time for the Union, with conditions attached to ensure that new rail developments ensure fair access and are compatible with rail networks across the EU; vii)consumer interests must be paramount. Member States must increase the importance and awareness of passenger rights, and ensure that tickets can be booked conveniently and in an integrated way to allow for easier and less bureaucratic international train travel

New Europe - Old Values?
New Europe - Old Values?

Author: Nada Bodiroga-Vukobrat

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-11-17

Total Pages: 291

ISBN-13: 331902213X

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This book explores the reactions to Europeanization and globalization in times of economic distress, including the transformation of European values in national legal cultures. The authors explore how European values, tradition and new legal challenges interconnect and dictate the paths of transition between old and new Europe. The first chapter starts with a question: can Roman Legal Tradition play a role of identity factor towards a New Europe? Can it be considered as a general value identifying new Europe, built on a minimum core of principles – persona, dominum, obligation, contract and inheritance – composing the whole European private law tradition? Subsequent chapters attempt to provide possible responses to the question: what is Europe today? The answers diverge, depending on the research area. The inherent dichotomy of human rights protection in Europe and the concept of ‘one law, one court’ are investigated in the second chapter, whereas the third chapter focuses on asylum and the interrelation and interdependence of the Court of Justice of the EU and the European Court of Human Rights. The next three chapters concentrate on matters of equal treatment and non-discrimination. The first contribution in this part reflects on the crisis and methodological and conceptual issues faced by modern anti-discrimination law. It is followed by a specific analysis of the empowerment of women or gender-balancing in company boards. The third contribution reveals the impact of the Croatian anti-discrimination law on private law relations. The next chapter deals with the issue of social rights in Croatia and the method of their regulation in the context of the new European values. The immense challenges posed by the market integration imperative and democratic transition have brought about different reactions in the national legal systems and legal cultures of both old and new Member States. As such, Europe has effectively been reunited, but what about the convergence of national legal cultures? This is the focal point of the remaining chapters, which focus on various issues, from internal market, competition law, consumer welfare, liberalization of network industries to the EU capital market. The magnitude of EU activity in these areas offers conclusive evidence that old and new paradigms are evolving and shaping the future of the EU.

The Routledge Companion to Network Industries
The Routledge Companion to Network Industries

Author: Matthias Finger

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-11-19

Total Pages: 391

ISBN-13: 1317668073

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In recent decades, network industries around the world have gone through periods of de- and re-regulation. With vast amounts of sometimes conflicting research carried out into specific network industries, the time has come for a critical over-arching assessment of this entire industry in order to provide a platform of understanding to aid future research and practice. This comprehensive resource provides an orientation for academics, policy makers and managers as to the main economic, regulatory and commercial challenges in the network industries. The book is split into sections covering market, policy, regulation, management perspectives, whilst all of the key network industries are covered, including energy, transport, water and telecommunications. Overseen by world-class Editors and experts in the field, this inter-disciplinary resource is essential reading for students and researchers in international business, industrial economics and the industries.

OECD Competition Assessment Reviews: Romania
OECD Competition Assessment Reviews: Romania

Author: OECD

Publisher: OECD Publishing

Published: 2016-06-28

Total Pages: 387

ISBN-13: 9264257454

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Drawing on the OECD Competition Assessment Toolkit, this report identifies 227 problematic regulations in Romania and makes 152 specific recommendations on legal provisions that should be amended or repealed.

Green Transportation Logistics
Green Transportation Logistics

Author: Harilaos N. Psaraftis

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-07-13

Total Pages: 577

ISBN-13: 3319171755

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This book examines the state of the art in green transportation logistics from the perspective of balancing environmental performance in the transportation supply chain while also satisfying traditional economic performance criteria. Part of the book is drawn from the recently completed European Union project Super Green, a three-year project intended to promote the development of European freight corridors in an environmentally friendly manner. Additional chapters cover both the methodological base and the application context of green transportation logistics. Individual chapters look at the policy context; the basics of transportation emissions; Green Corridors basics; the concept of TEN-T (Trans-European Network); Benchmarking of green corridors; the potential role of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies); Green vehicle routing; Reducing maritime CO2 emissions via market based measures and speed and route optimization; Sulphur emissions; Lifecycle emissions; Green rail transportation; Green air transportation; Green inland navigation and possible areas for further research. Throughout, the book pursues the goal of “win-win” solutions and analyzes the phenomenon of “push-down, pop-up”, wherein a change in one aspect of a problem can cause another troubling aspect to arise. For example, speed reduction in maritime transportation can reduce emissions and fuel costs, but could require additional ships and could raise in-transit inventory costs. Or, regulations to reduce sulphur emissions may ultimately increase CO2 elsewhere in the supply chain. The book takes stock at the various tradeoffs that are at stake in the goal of greening the supply chain and looks at where balances can be struck.

The Reform of Network Industries
The Reform of Network Industries

Author: Massimo Florio

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2017-12-29

Total Pages: 263

ISBN-13: 1786439034

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Network industries such as electricity, gas, rail, local public transport, telecommunications and postal services are recognised by the EU as crucial for fostering European social and territorial cohesion. Providing an overview of key policy reforms in these industries and an empirical evaluation, this thought-provoking book offers a critical perspective on the functioning of the networks that provide vital services to EU citizens.

EU Railway Policy-Making
EU Railway Policy-Making

Author: H. Dyrhauge

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2013-09-18

Total Pages: 176

ISBN-13: 1137274492

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Through policy and intervention national governments in Europe have long held an active interest in railways, an interest that has transferred to the supranational level via the EU commission. This book explores why the EU Commission has been so slow in creating an EU railway policy, pointing the finger at strong resistance by national governments