Licensing of railway undertakings. Railway package

OBJECTIVE: the proposal for a directive forms part of a package of measures intended to ensure fair and non-discriminatory treatment of railway undertakings and the efficient use of infrastructure. It seeks to extend the scope of Directive 95/18/EC on the licensing of railway undertakings. SUBSTANCE: Directive 95/18/EC on licensing applies only to railway undertakings providing services referred to in Article 10 of Directive 91/440/EEC, namely services subject to access rights. Furthermore, railway undertakings whose activities are restricted solely to urban, suburban or regional transport are excluded from the scope of the Directive. However several Member States have established wider rights of access to infrastructure than those of Directive 91/440/EEC or have launched calls for tenders for urban, suburban or regional services. To guarantee a fair and non-discriminatory application of these rights to all railway undertakings established in the Community, the Commission proposes extending the Community rules on licencing to all these undertakings. �