Text tabled : A7-0196/2012

  Georgios Toussas (GUE/NGL), in writing. – (EL) The report on the recast directive on a single European railway area promotes faster privatisation of public rail transport in all the EU Member States, so that they can be handed over to large business groups trading in that sector. The so-called ‘third EU package’ on rail transport completed the break-up of rail transport by dividing the infrastructure network from primary rail transport operations. This facilitated privatisation, as the profitable part of transport operations has been sold off, while the infrastructure network and concomitant costs have remained in the public sector. The aim of the recast ‘third package’ is to remove all (administrative and technical) obstacles to privatisation, so as to complete the interconnection of rail networks in all the Member States and promote the takeover of state railways by monopoly groups, especially in the strong capitalist EU Member States. This will provoke a wave of redundancies and exacerbate working conditions, send passenger fares and freight tariffs through the roof and reduce the standard of transport services and safety of the railways. This policy has already been consistently applied by the New Democracy and PASOK capitalist governments in Greece and by the previous and present coalition.