The EU transport sector must continue to be a key enabler of sustainable trade and economic growth. It should therefore be supported in its effort to face the energy transition and remain a key priority for policy makers and Member States. The success of the Green Deal will depend on the regulatory framework and financial instruments that will be mobilized to support innovation and the implementation of the proposed actions. Legal certainty for private investments as well as a financial stimulation of ?first movers? will be an important cornerstone for the ultimate success of the Green Deal.

ERFA believes it is crucial that the State Aid Guidelines for Railway Undertakings are modernised to take into consideration developments in the rail freight sector over the past eleven years. ERFA therefore calls upon the incoming the European Commission to work towards a revision of the Guidelines for Railway Undertakings.

During the ERFA Board of Directors meeting of 20th November, the ERFA Board of Directors unanimously elected Mr. Dirk Stahl (BLS Cargo) as the new ERFA President. Mr. Maciej Gladyga was elected as the Vice-President of ERFA.

The recent suggestion of Belgian minister of Transport, Mr François Bellot, to revert to the situation before the rail unbundling implemented in 2005 raises serious concerns regarding the impartiality of the infrastructure manager. To accelerate the growth of the European Rail Freight market, and to ensure the true completion of the single European Railway Area, it is crucial that infrastructure managers stay and, in some cases, finally become independent and impartial.

ERFA Appoints Mr. Conor Feighan as New ERFA Secretary General

On 19th of July 2019 the state owned Slovakian Cargo rail company has been condemned for abuse of dominant position for having refused to sell/lease rolling stock. It happened after 10 years judicial proceedings. Penalties for such unacceptable attitude are too low and delays too long. Read the ERFA press release for more details.

ERFA and ALLRAIL join forces to make rail traffic grow. List of improvements sent to the new MEPs at the starting point of the new legislative period. Second hand rolling stock market is key for freight.

ERFA welcomes the European Commission?s decision to prohibit the merger between Siemens and Alstom. Siemens-Alstom: thanks to the Commission for its perseverance in the enforcement of competition rules. Next step: to ask for a real market access reciprocity.

CER, ERFA, FEPORT, UIP and UIRR express their deep concerns on how CT will remain competitive in a marketplace where homogeneous EU-wide rules are replaced by Member State choices. The associations issuing this statement call on the Romanian Presidency to ensure wins for Combined Transport in the impending trialogue process and to align more closely with the ambition of the European Parliament position.

On the occasion of the Rail Freight Day in Vienna ERFA President Lindsay Durham highlighted the importance of increasing efficiency and reducing costs through a more standardised infrastructure as well as the reliability of rail services by putting in place incentives for Infrastructure Managers to deal with recurring problems on the network and an improved framework for delivering competition within rail.

Private rail freight companies, represented by ERFA, held their annual strategy workshop in Brussels this week. The conditions needed to boost rail freight growth in Europe and to drive rail?s attractiveness for customers on quality, reliability and cost issues were the main themes of the day.

CER, EIM, ERFA, UIP, UIRR and UNIFE share the view that the Graz Declaration can mark the beginning of a new era of clean, safe and affordable mobility for the benefit of Europe?s citizens, the environment, and society at large, and reiterate the importance of keeping rail at the heart of national and EU policies for a decarbonized and clean transportation of the future.