Railway transport: development of the Community's railways. 2nd package

The Conciliation Committee reached agreement on the directive on the development of the Community's railways. The main points of the compromise package are as follows: - licensed railway undertakings will be granted rights of access to international rail freight services from 1 January 2006 at the latest and to national freight services from 1 January 2007, a year earlier than in the common position. It was also agreed that Commission would submit a report on the implementation of the directive as well as on developments in traffic, safety, working conditions and the situation of operators by 1 January 2006; - at the end of negotiations Parliament accepted the Council's refusal to regulate the liberalisation of rail passenger services in this directive. However, the Council accepted a recital setting a date of 2010 for liberalisation of international passenger services as "an objective allowing all operators to prepare in an appropriate manner". Parliament and Council agreed to examine "diligently" the third railway package put forward by the Commission on 3 March 2004. �