European railway area: European Railway Agency for interoperability and safety. 2nd package

The committee adopted the report by Gilles SAVARY (PES, F) amending the Council's common position under the 2nd reading of the codecision procedure. It reinstated a number of amendments adopted by Parliament at 1st reading. For example, it again stipulated that the Agency should have sole responsibility "in the context of the functions and powers assigned to it by law" and that the allocation of similar functions and powers to national offices should therefore be ruled out. Other retabled amendments sought to ensure that all actors in the rail industry, including rail staff unions, would be involved in the operation of the Agency and introduced additional provisions on working parties and the creation of advisory committees. The committee also tabled a number of new amendments of a mainly technical nature, incorporating standard provisions on the organisation of agencies following the adoption of the new framework financial regulation in 2002. �