European Commission — 2025-07-08
News from Brussels
The European Commission today published a report assessing the implementation of the Single European Railway Area Directive, taking an initial position on how its provisions have influenced the development of the European rail sector to date. The report addresses all areas governed by the Directive, with particular emphasis on the growth of high-speed services and the possible presence of discriminatory practices in relation to vertically integrated infrastructure managers and railway undertakings.
Directive 2012/34/EU - the Single European Railway Area Directive - is the foundation of the EU’s legal framework for the railway sector. It aims to create a unified European railway area by ensuring fair and non-discriminatory access to rail infrastructure and related services.
The report finds that several obstacles continue to hinder the emergence of a truly integrated European railway area. The assessment identifies key areas requiring further monitoring and follow-up, which may inform future policy initiatives to address persisting issues and strengthen the regulatory framework.
However, delays in the national transposition of Directive (EU) 2016/2370, combined with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent energy crisis, currently limit the ability to fully assess the Directive’s long-term impact on the sector.
The Commission remains committed to working closely with stakeholders to drive progress toward an integrated, competitive, and efficient European rail system. At the same time, it will intensify efforts to enforce the Directive’s existing provisions effectively.
Background
Between 2001 and 2016, the EU adopted four legislative packages aimed at gradually opening rail transport markets to competition, ensuring interoperability of national systems, and establishing the framework for a single European railway area.
As part of the Fourth Railway Package, Directive (EU) 2016/2370 amended the Single European Railway Area Directive by completing market opening for domestic passenger services. This enabled EU railway operators to offer services across the EU. It also introduced safeguards to prevent conflicts of interest and discriminatory practices by infrastructure managers within vertically integrated undertakings (i.e. companies that also provide rail transport services).
One of the sources underpinning today’s report is the Input Study on Vertically Integrated Rail Undertakings in the European Union, which offers an overview of major vertically integrated companies and highlights regulatory and competition cases involving distortive or discriminatory practices.