Railway transport: certification of train crews and drivers. 3rd package

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the joint text approved by the Conciliation Committee for a directive on the certification of train drivers operating locomotives and trains on the railway system in the Community.

The main points of the agreement can be summarised as follows:

• Comitology – urgent procedure: Parliament managed to ensure that the Commission may use the urgent procedure under comitology only in two areas, namely the choice of examiners and examinations for train drivers, and the adaptation of the annexes to the directive to reflect scientific and technological progress.
• Inclusion of other crew members within the scope of the directive: Parliament secured agreement that no later than 30 months after the directive enters into force the Commission is to submit a report on crew members performing safety-related tasks. If necessary, the Commission will be required to table a legislative proposal concerning such crew members.