Europe asks Romania to comply with rail rules

The European Commission brought a non-compliance case against Romania.    The European Commission has been striving to create a holistic approach to rail service across the European Union, and it has pursued legal action against Romania to bring the state’s rail rules up to EU standards.
   The commission has issued a reasoned opinion against Romania, saying the state has not been in compliance with Directive 2004/49/EC. Romania now has two months to comply before the commission refers the case to the European Court of Justice.
   The directive originally placed a deadline of April 2006 on the new rules, and the commission started infringement proceedings with Romania in February 2013. This reasoned opinion is the second step in the infringement process.
   “EU legislation aims at developing a common approach to railway safety so that all EU rail networks demonstrate consistent high safety levels and EU citizens travel safely on them,” the commission said in a press release. “The establishment of safety requirements on the rail system includes safe management of infrastructure and traffic operation, roles and responsibilities of railway undertakings and infrastructure managers as well as their interaction.”