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Europaudvalget 2023
KOM (2023) 0443
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EUROPEAN COMMISSION

3.3.2023

SEC(2023)

443

REGULATORY SCRUTINY BOARD OPINION

Measures to better manage and coordinate international rail traffic

{COM(2023)

443}

{SWD(2023)

443, 444}

kom (2023) 0443 - Ingen titel kom (2023) 0443 - Ingen titel

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

REGULATORY SCRUTINY BOARD

Brussels,

RSB

Opinion

Title: Impact assessment / Measures to better manage and coordinate

international rail traffic

Overall opinion: POSITIVE

(A) Policy context

Rail is key to making EU transport more efficient and sustainable. The Trans-European

Transport Network (TEN-T) aims to connect EU countries and facilitate cross-border

transport of people and supplies. The EU policy on rail focuses on establishing a single

European railway area, an EU-wide system of railway networks, which would allow the

expansion of the rail sector based on competition, technical harmonisation and joint

development of cross-border connections. Increasing the modal share of rail requires better

access to rail infrastructure, especially for international freight.

This initiative aims to propose measures to manage better, coordinate, and increase the

capacity of all rail transport and to optimise the exploitation of this capacity in order to

increase passenger and freight rail traffic. It explores how to deploy digital tools enabling

better capacity and traffic management. The analysis also looks into more effective

mechanisms for coordination between stakeholders.

(B) Summary of findings

The Board notes the additional information provided and commitments to make

changes to the report.

The Board gives a positive opinion. The Board also considers that the report should

further improve with respect to the following aspects:

(1) The report does not explain clearly enough the inputs considered in the modelling

to estimate the expected impacts of policy options.

(2) The report does not well explain the choice of the preferred option.

(1) The report should better explain the parameters used as model inputs to estimate the

key specific impacts of the policy options. In particular, it should better explain how

________________________________

This opinion concerns a draft impact assessment which may differ from the final version.

Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË - Tel. +32 22991111

[email protected]

kom (2023) 0443 - Ingen titel

capacity restrictions (both in terms of general limitations in available capacity and more

specific temporary restrictions due to maintenance and renewal infrastructure work) were

taken into account in the modelling. It should be clearer on all parameters and assumptions

used to estimate the increase in available rail network capacity and rail freight transport

activity. It should also better explain the articulation between the TRUST and ASTRA

models to estimate the net job creation and the GDP growth. The report should undertake a

sensitivity analysis to better account for the uncertainty of the outputs, such as the

estimated potential 4% increase in rail capacity thanks to the preferred policy option of the

initiative.

(2) The report should provide further argumentation on the choice of the preferred option

given that it does not have the best Benefit Cost Ratio. It should further explain the source

of uncertainties and limitations of the cost benefit analysis to strengthen the justification of

the preferred option. To complement the cost benefit analysis, the report should more

explicitly compare the options in terms of effectiveness, in particular delivery on the

specific objectives of the initiative. It should bring out more clearly how the options differ

in terms of key benefits, including any available quantitative estimates.

(3) The report should more clearly outline the failures of the current Rail Freight Corridors

system, and better explain how the 2021 evaluation findings fed into the report. The

intervention logic should make a more direct link between the identified problems and

corresponding objectives, clarifying how they address problems other than capacity

restraints for freight transport. The report should further explain to what extent capacity

increase is a key enabler to reach the rail transport objectives 2030 and 2050 set out in the

Commission’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy.

(4) The report should be clear on what success would look like in terms of increase of

freight and passenger transport, linking the achievements of this initiative with parallel,

complementary, initiatives addressing other barriers to the growth of rail transport. It

should explain how the achievement of success of this initiative would be monitored while

adequately reflecting the progress of other relevant initiatives. It should establish a set of

operational objectives linked to monitoring indicators.

(5) The views of different stakeholder groups should be more visible throughout the report.

The Board notes the estimated costs and benefits of the preferred option(s) in this

initiative, as summarised in the attached quantification tables.

Some more technical comments have been sent directly to the author DG.

(D) Conclusion

The DG may proceed with the initiative.

If there are any changes in the choice or design of the preferred option in the final

version of the report, the DG may need to further adjust the attached quantification

tables to reflect this.

Full title

Reference number

Submitted to RSB on

Date of RSB meeting

Measures to better manage and coordinate international rail

traffic to increase the modal share of rail

PLAN/2021/10644

2 February 2023

1 March 2023

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ANNEX – Quantification tables extracted from the draft impact assessment report

The following tables contain information on the costs and benefits of the initiative on

which the Board has given its opinion, as presented above.

If the draft report has been revised in line with the Board’s recommendations, the content

of these tables may be different from those in the final version of the impact assessment

report, as published by the Commission.

I. Overview of Benefits (total for all provisions) – Preferred Option (Policy option 3)

Description

Amount

Direct benefits

Benefits for railways

undertakings from an

increase of available

capacity, expressed as

present value over 2025-

2050 relative to the baseline

EUR 2 575.7 million

Benefits to RUs due to the increase in the

available capacity estimated at

EUR 2 575.7 million, expressed as present

value over 2025-2050 relative to the

baseline. This is due mostly to a more

strategic management of capacity, allowing

to optimise the provision of capacity in line

with market needs over a longer time

horizon and safeguarding capacity to be

allocated later in the calendar year.

Benefits to RUs due to improvements in the

performance of rail transport services,

notably punctuality, estimated at EUR 658

million, expressed as present value over

2025-2050 relative to the baseline.

Adjustment costs savings for railway

undertakings due to the improved capacity

management and allocation process,

notably from greater stability of allocated

paths and the support function for cross-

border coordination of capacity

management at EU level. Expressed as

present value over 2025-2050 relative to the

baseline, the adjustment costs savings for

railway undertakings are estimated at

EUR 482.8 million.

Administrative costs savings for

infrastructure managers, due to the

introduction of a harmonised legal

framework for railway capacity and traffic

management and the abolition of the rail

freight corridors, estimated at EUR 0.4

million annually relative to the baseline (i.e.

EUR 17 836 per year on average per

infrastructure manager). Expressed as

present value over 2025-2050 relative to the

baseline the administrative costs savings

are estimated at EUR 8.2 million.

Adjustment costs savings for infrastructure

managers due to the introduction of a

harmonised legal framework for railway

capacity and traffic management and the

abolition of the rail freight corridors, and

from the reduction in the train path requests

Comments

Benefits for railways

undertakings from

improvements in

punctuality, expressed as

present value over 2025-

2050 relative to the baseline

Adjustment costs savings

for railway undertakings,

expressed as present value

over 2025-2050 relative to

the baseline

EUR 658 million

EUR 482.8 million

Administrative costs

savings for infrastructure

managers, expressed as

present value over 2025-

2050 relative to the baseline

EUR 8.2 million

Adjustment costs savings

for infrastructure managers,

expressed as present value

over 2025-2050 relative to

the baseline

EUR 485.3 million

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I. Overview of Benefits (total for all provisions) – Preferred Option (Policy option 3)

Description

Amount

Comments

resulting from the new approach for

capacity and traffic management. The costs

savings are estimated at EUR 485.3 million

expressed as present value over 2025-2050

relative to the baseline.

Administrative costs

savings for national public

authorities, expressed as

present value over 2025-

2050 relative to the baseline

EUR 2.6 million

Administrative costs savings for national

public authorities due to the introduction of

a harmonised legal framework for railway

capacity and traffic management and the

abolition of the rail freight corridors,

leading to the abolishment of the biennial

reports of the executive boards of the rail

freight corridors. Expressed as present

value over 2025-2050, the total

administrative costs savings are estimated

at EUR 2.6 million relative to the baseline.

Adjustment costs savings for national

public authorities due to the introduction of

a harmonised legal framework for railway

capacity and traffic management and the

abolition of the rail freight corridors,

leading to the termination of the

participation in the executive boards, which

includes direct labour costs but also

overheads (i.e. travel costs) for the Member

States participating in the corridors.

Expressed as present value over 2025-2050,

the adjustment costs savings for national

public authorities are estimated at EUR 6.8

million.

Adjustment cost savings due to a reduction

in the use of EU funds, driven by the

introduction of a harmonised legal

framework for railway capacity and traffic

management and the abolition of the rail

freight corridors. Part of the costs related to

the governance and operation of the rail

freight corridors, overheads (including for

IT) and cost of external services (transport

market studies, some external services

provided by RNE, etc.) are eligible for EU

funding. Expressed as present value over

2025-2050, the adjustment costs savings are

estimated at EUR 116.7 million.

Positive impact on the functioning of the

internal market. Improving the planning

and operations of rail infrastructure allows

railway undertakings to deliver better rail

transport services for the benefit of freight

customers and passengers throughout the

Union.

Indirect benefits

Reduction in external costs

of CO2 emissions,

expressed as present value

over 2025-2050, relative to

the baseline

EUR 3 309.3 million

Indirect benefit to society at large, due to

the tonnes of CO2 emissions saved, enabled

by better rail transport services for the

benefit of freight customers and passengers

and a decrease in the road and air transport

Adjustment costs savings

for national public

authorities, expressed as

present value over 2025-

2050 relative to the baseline

EUR 6.8 million

Adjustment cost savings in

expressed as present value

over 2025-2050 relative to

the baseline

EUR 116.7 million

Improvement in the

functioning of the internal

market

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I. Overview of Benefits (total for all provisions) – Preferred Option (Policy option 3)

Description

Amount

Comments

activity relative to the baseline. The

reduction in the external costs of CO2

emissions is estimated at EUR 3 309.3

million, expressed as present value over the

2025-2050 horizon relative to the baseline.

Reduction in external costs

of air pollutant emissions,

expressed as present value

over 2025-2050, relative to

the baseline

EUR 681 million

Indirect benefit to society at large, due to

the tonnes of air pollutant emissions saved,

enabled by better rail transport services for

the benefit of freight customers and

passengers and a decrease in the road and

air transport activity relative to the baseline.

The reduction in the external costs of air

pollutant emissions is estimated at

EUR 681 million, expressed as present

value over the 2025-2050 horizon relative

to the baseline.

Indirect benefit to society at large, due to

the lives saved and injuries avoided,

enabled by better rail transport services for

the benefit of freight customers and

passengers and a decrease in road transport

activity relative to the baseline. The

reduction in the external costs of road

accidents is estimated at EUR 2,801.6

million, expressed as present value over the

2025-2050 horizon relative to the baseline.

Indirect benefit to society at large, enabled

by better rail transport services for the

benefit of freight customers and passengers

and a decrease in road transport activity

relative to the baseline. The reduction in the

external costs of congestion is estimated at

EUR 2,374.8 million, expressed as present

value over the 2025-2050 horizon relative

to the baseline.

Indirect benefit to society at large. Better

rail transport services are expected to have

knock-on effects throughout the entire

economy, leveraging the initial impact on

the transport sector. This is also expected to

lead to positive impacts on GDP, which is

estimated to increase by around 0.1% in

2030 and 0.2% in 2050 relative to the

baseline (corresponding to EUR 7 billion

increase in 2030 and EUR 30 billion

increase in 2050).

Reduction in external costs

of road accidents (fatalities

and serious injuries),

expressed as present value

over 2025-2050, relative to

the baseline

EUR 2 801.6 million

Reduction in external costs

of congestion, expressed as

present value over

2025-2050, relative to the

baseline

EUR 2 374.8 million

Positive impact on GDP

relative to the baseline

GDP increase of 0.1% in 2030 and 0.2% in 2050

relative to the baseline. This translates into

EUR 7 billion increase in GDP relative to the

Baseline in 2030 and EUR 30 billion increase in

2050.

Positive impacts on

employment relative to the

baseline (additional persons

employed over 2025-2050)

1.06 million additional persons employed over Indirect benefit to society at large. The

2025-2050 (42,320 additional persons employed increase in capacity and thus in the rail

per year on average)

traffic would lead to higher gross value

added for the sector relative to the baseline,

and to an increase in employment.

Economy-wide, the number of additional

persons employed would increase by 1.06

million over 2025-2050 (42 320 additional

persons employed per year on average)

relative to the baseline.

kom (2023) 0443 - Ingen titel

I. Overview of Benefits (total for all provisions) – Preferred Option (Policy option 3)

Description

Amount

Comments

Administrative cost savings related to the ‘one in, one out’ approach

Administrative costs

EUR 0.4 million per year on average

Administrative costs savings for

savings for infrastructure

infrastructure managers, due to the

managers (annual average)

introduction of a harmonised legal

framework for railway capacity and traffic

management and the abolition of the rail

freight corridors, estimated at EUR 0.4

million annually relative to the baseline (i.e.

EUR 17 836 per year on average per

infrastructure manager). Expressed as

present value over 2025-2050 relative to the

baseline the administrative costs savings

are estimated at EUR 8.2 million.

II. Overview of costs – Preferred option

(Policy option 3)

Citizens/Consumers

One-off

Recurrent

Businesses

One-off

For railways

undertakings:

EUR 305.2

million

For infrastructure

managers:

EUR 681.4

million

For operators of

terminals and

multimodal

transport

services:

EUR 0.5 million

Direct administrative costs

Direct regulatory fees and

charges

Direct enforcement costs,

expressed as present value

over 2025-2050, relative to

the baseline

Indirect costs

Recurrent

For railways

undertakings:

EUR 129.9

million

For

infrastructure

managers:

EUR 915.2

million

For operators of

terminals and

multimodal

transport

services:

EUR 16.5

million

For

infrastructure

managers:

EUR 12.5

million

For public

authorities:

EUR 4.2

million

For public

authorities:

EUR 20.9

million

Administrations

One-off

Recurrent

For public

authorities:

EUR 5.9

million

For the

European

Commission:

EUR 1.8

million

Direct adjustment costs,

expressed as present value

over 2025-2050, relative to

the baseline

Costs related to the ‘one in, one out’ approach

Direct adjustment

costs, expressed

as present value

over 2025-2050,

relative to the

baseline

For railways

undertakings:

EUR 305.2

million

For railways

undertakings:

EUR 129.9

million

Total

For infrastructure For

managers:

infrastructure

kom (2023) 0443 - Ingen titel

II. Overview of costs – Preferred option

(Policy option 3)

Citizens/Consumers

One-off

Recurrent

Businesses

One-off

EUR 681.4

million

For operators of

terminals and

multimodal

transport

services:

EUR 0.5 million

Indirect

adjustment costs

Administrative

costs (for

offsetting)

Recurrent

managers:

EUR 915.2

million

For operators of

terminals and

multimodal

transport

services:

EUR 16.5

million

Administrations

One-off

Recurrent

Electronically signed on 03/03/2023 11:19 (UTC+01) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121