Positions 05 Feb 2019

CER Position Paper - Commission proposal COM(2017)548 – recast of Regulation (EC) 1371/2007 on Rail Passenger Rights

The EU institutions are currently discussing the recast of Regulation 1371/2007 on rail passenger rights (Rail PRR). CER considers the protection of their customers first and foremost as the sector’s own long-standing commitment. Studies of the Commission show that railway companies have taken the implementation of Regulation 1371/2007 very seriously by investing significant resources into meeting new requirements and into further speeding up the complaint handling process. CER is therefore working closely with all decision-makers and customers’ associations to ensure that the proposal enables rail operators to keep up the good work in this area. Furthermore, Member States and the European Parliament should take into account that intermodal competition is already much affected by cost-related distortions between rail and other modes. Therefore, reasonable, balanced and enforceable rail passenger rights should be the outcome of this recast without jeopardising the sector’s competitiveness. In this context, CER has highlighted its concerns related to the Commission’s proposal in the position paper available to download below.