No L 235/6 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 17. 9. 96 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 96/48/EC of 23 July 1996 on the interoperability of the trans-European high-speed rail system THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular the third paragraph of Article 129d thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (%), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 189¢ (%), Whereas in order to enable citizens of the Union, economic operators and regional and local authorities to benefit to the full from the advantages deriving from establishing an area without internal frontiers, it is advisable, in particular, to improve the interlinking and interoperability of national high-speed train networks, as well as access thereto; Whereas a high-level working party consisting of representatives of the governments of the Member States, of the European railways and of the Furopean railway industry convened by the Commission in order to meet the request expressed by the Council in its resolution of 4 and 5 December 1989 drew up the master plan for a European high-speed train network; Whereas in December 1990 the Commission sent to the Council a communication on the high-speed train network, and whereas the Council gave a favourable reception to that communication in its resolution of 17 December 1990 (%); Whereas Article 129¢ of the Treaty provides that the Community shall implement any measures that may ("y OJ No C 134, 17. 5. 1994, p. 6. (3) OJ No C 397, 31. 12. 1994, p. 8. () OJ No C 210, 14. 8. 1995, p. 38. (*) Opinion of the European Parliament of 19 January 1995 (O] No C 43, 20. 2. 1995, p. 60), Council common position of 8 December 1995 (O] No 356, 30. 12. 1995, p. 43) and Decision of the European Parliament of 16 April 1996 (O] No C 141, 13. 5. 1996, p. 48). () O] No C 33, 8. 2. 1991, p. 1. prove necessary to ensure network interoperability, in particular in the field of technical standardization; Whereas the commercial operation of high-speed trains requires excellent compatibility between the characteristics of the infrastructure and those of the rolling stock; whereas performance levels, safety, quality of service and cost depend upon such compatibility as does, in particular, the interoperability of the European high-speed rail system; Whereas pursuant to Council Directive 91/440/EEC of 29 July 1991 on the development of the Community’s railways (°) railway companies must have increased access to the rail networks of the Member States, which in turn requires infrastructure, equipment and rolling stock interoperability; Whereas the Member States are responsible for ensuring compliance with the safety, health and .consumer protection rules applying to the railway networks in general during the design, construction, placing in service and operation of those railways; whereas, together with the local authorities, they also have responsibilities in respect of rights in land, regional planning and environmental protection; whercas that is also especially pertinent with regard to high-speed train networks; Whereas Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment(’) requires an assessment of the impact on the environment of the construction of lines for long-distance rail traffic; Whereas national regulations and the railways’ internal rules and the technical specifications which the railways apply contain major differences; whereas those national regulations and internal rules incorporate techniques that are specific to the national industries; whereas they prescribe specific dimensions and devices and special characteristics; whereas this situation runs counter to high-speed trains being able to run normally throughout Community territory; Whereas, over the years, this situation has created very close links between the national railway industries and the national railways, to the detriment of the genuine opening-up of contracts; whereas, in order to enhance (®) O] No L 237, 24. 8. 1991, p. 25. (7) O] No L 175, 5. 7. 1988, p. 40.