Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-12-13-Speech-2-336"
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"en.20051213.60.2-336"2
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".
Mr President, it is a pleasure for me to answer Mrs Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou’s first question. Several initiatives taken by the Commission in the realm of transport and energy demonstrate the importance we attach to people with special needs. In terms of the public-service requirement, the Commission has undertaken to create a suitable legal basis on which the Member States can guarantee users high-quality transport services at affordable prices.
In 2005, the Commission stepped up its efforts by defining the elementary principles of its policy on passenger rights. This time the Commission focused on fair treatment for passengers with reduced mobility. It proposed a regulation on the rights of rail passengers, which is currently under discussion by the European Parliament and the Council, the latter having arrived at a political agreement on 5 December.
For example, the proposed legislation requires operators to respect the right to fair access to rail services and the right to be informed of the accessibility conditions. It requires rail companies and station administrators to provide assistance free of charge to passengers with reduced mobility, both in stations and on trains. In a parallel effort, the Commission is dealing with the accessibility of trains and stations.
In connection with the implementation of the Directive on the interoperability of the trans-European rail system, the Commission is compiling a set of technical specifications designed to improve the accessibility of the public areas of the rail infrastructure for people with reduced mobility. Special attention has been devoted to problems in boarding and alighting from trains and to obligations relating to evacuation in emergencies. In response to specific transport-related needs expressed by the general public, Member States could also go beyond the requirements of Community legislation.
As far as public services are concerned, it is Community legislation that lays down detailed rules governing public intervention. On the other hand, the establishment of a system of concessionary fares for certain passenger categories, such as members of large families, remains a matter for the Member States. All initiatives of this type are underpinned by the strategy of the European Union to improve the active inclusion of people with disabilities. The priority objective of the second phase of the 2006-2007 action plan is the promotion of access to transport services and non-discrimination, in accordance with the communication recently adopted by the Commission on the situation of disabled people in the enlarged European Union. These are the points I wished to make to the honourable Member in reply to her question."@en1
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