Amended proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) concerning the granting of Community financial assistance for actions to promote combined goods transport
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Brussels, 30. 10. 1997 CQM(97) 507 final 96/ 0207 (SYN) Amended proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) concerning the granting of Community financial assistance for actions to promote combined goods transport (presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 189 a (2) of the EC-Treaty) Explanatory Memorandum At its plenary session of 12 June 1997, the European Parliament has given its opinion on the Commission proposal1 for a Council Regulation (EC) concerning for actions to promote combined goods transport, providing for a number of amendments. the granting of Community financial assistance The Commission has accepted the first part of amendment 2, amendment 3, the first part of amendment 4, and amendment 7, as far as it relates to synergies with the PHARE programme, for the following reasons. first part of amendment 2, concerning Article The the Commission proposal, states that the innovative measures supported by PACT concern specific operational measures, and is therefore a useful clarification. (4)(1)(b) of Amendment 3 relating to Art. 6(3)(d) of the Commission proposal, which proposes to make access costs to inland waterway infrastructure eligible for assistance, to discriminate between the various non-road modes. thrust of PACT not the general line with in is the trans-European network and The first part of amendment 4, proposing a new littera (a) to Art. 6(4) of the Commission proposal, stresses the conformity of proposals with the axes of freight freeways. The Commission agrees that these policy initiatives are an important part of the Community transport policy. PACT Projects should therefore be measured also against these policy goals. However, as the most important policy goal of the PACT Programme is to achieve a traffic shift from road to other modes, the Commission proposes to move the new littera to the end of Art. 6(4). the Trans-European in Amendment 7, as far as it relates to the synergies with the PHARE is useful, as both programmes may potentially overlap, programme, the especially Commission's endeavour to manage PACT and PHARE in a coherent way. However, the Parliament's proposal to insert this amendment in Article 7 would not be in line with the substance of the Article, which deals with comitology. It is therefore proposed to insert it as a new Art. framework of PHARE Multicountry. the is It O. J. No. C 343, 15 November 1996, p. 4 6(5), as Art. 6 deals with the selection criteria applicable to submitted projects. The Commission therefore amends its proposal as follows: Amended Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) concerning the granting of Community financial assistance for actions to promote combined goods transport Original Proposal Amended Proposal Article 4(1 Mb) (b) innovative measures, namely specific investments and certain variable operating costs with the exception of measures concerning staff costs, energy consumption and the covering of financial losses. (b) innovative measures, namely investments in specific operational measures and certain variable operating costs with the exception of measures concerning staff costs, energy consumption and the covering of financial losses. Article 6(3)(d) (d) cost factors (especially elements for evaluating the marginal cost of access to the infrastructure, particularly rail, for the service covered by the pilot action and any further information enabling a judgment to be made as to whether aid towards the costs of infrastructure access is justified) (d) cost factors (especially elements for evaluating the marginal cost of access to the infrastructure, particularly rail and inland waterways, for the service covered by the pilot action and any further information enabling a judgment to be made as to whether aid towards the costs of infrastructure access is justfied) Article 6(4) In assessing whether the project is likely to meet Community transport goals, the following indicators shall be given priority: In assessing whether the project is likely to meet Community transport goals, the following indicators shall be given priority: traffic shift forecast (as (a) percentage of total traffic on route or axis); traffjc shift forecast (as (a) percentage of total traffic on route or axis); effects on other transport (b) services in the relevant market and possible new entrants; effects on other transport (b) services in the relevant market and possible new entrants; relevance of project results (c) for other ventures, routes or market participants; relevance of project results (c) for other ventures, routes or market participants; benefits to environment (d) and safety when compared with existing services. benefits to environment (d) and safety when compared with existing services. contribution of the project (e) to the development and use of the trans-European transport networks and of the Trans- European Rail Freight Freeways. Art 6(5) new 5. Due consideration in the selection process shogld also be given to projects which link up connections to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and tQ projects, which create s y n e r g ie with the PHAPE programme 5. The Commission shall also ensure that the submission complies with the further conditions laid down in this Regulation, namely: 6. The Commission shall also ensure that the submission complies with the further conditions laid down in this Regulation, namely: the consent of States on (a) whose territory the action is carried out; (a) the consent of States on whose territory the action is carried out; (b) the exclusion of infrastructure measures; (b) the exclusion of infrastructure measures; the exclusion of research (c) measures; the exclusion of research (c) measures; (d) a guarantee that, as from 27 June 1997, the railway undertakings taking part in the project hold a licence within the meaning of Article 2 of Directive 95/18/EC. (d) a guarantee that, as from 27 June 1997, the railway undertakings taking part in the project hold a licence within the meaning of Article 2 of Directive 95/18/EC. 6. The evaluation and monitoring procedures referred to in Article 10 shall be determined by the decisions provided for in paragraph 1 of this Article. 7. The evaluation and monitoring procedures referred to in Article 10 shall be determined by the decisions provided for in paragraph 1 of this Article. 7. These decisions are addressed to the beneficiaries and the Member States in whose territory the combined transport routes are situated. 8. These decisions are addressed to the beneficiaries and the Member States in whose territory the combined transport routes are situated. The remainder of the text is unchanged. ISSN 0254-1475 OM(97) 507 fmal DOCUMENTS 07 10 01 09 Catalogue number : CB-CO-97-516-EN-C ISBN 92-78-25671-4 Office for Official Publications of the European Communities L-2985 Luxembourg "7-