RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of a Protocol to the Agreement on the international occasional carriage of passengers by coach and bus (Interbus Agreement) regarding the international regular and special regular carriage of passengers by coach and bus

28.5.2021 - (11441/2020 – C9‑0027/2021 – 2020/0258(NLE)) - ***

Committee on Transport and Tourism
Rapporteur: Maria Grapini

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of a Protocol to the Agreement on the international occasional carriage of passengers by coach and bus (Interbus Agreement) regarding the international regular and special regular carriage of passengers by coach and bus

(11441/2020 – C9‑0027/2021 – 2020/0258(NLE))

(Consent)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the draft Council decision 11441/2020,

– having regard to the draft Protocol to the Agreement on the international occasional carriage of passengers by coach and bus (Interbus Agreement) regarding the international regular and special regular carriage of passengers by coach and bus (11442/2020),

– having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article 91 and Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C9‑0027/2021),

– having regard to Rule 105(1) and (4), and Rule 114(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (A9-0176/2021),

1. Gives its consent to the conclusion of the Protocol;

2. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The Protocol to the Interbus Agreement:

The Protocol to the Agreement on the international occasional carriage of passengers by coach and bus (Interbus Agreement) regarding the international regular and special regular carriage of passengers by coach and bus replaces the Protocol to the Interbus Agreement which was open for signature between 16 July 2018 and 16 April 2019 but was only signed by the Union at the time.  Since there was no other Contracting Party, the entry into force of the Protocol was impossible and the Commission received a new mandate to negotiate for the amendment of the Protocol, in order to make certain technical changes regarding its signing and entry into force. The current version of the Protocol is the result of these negotiations.

The Protocol covers only the provisions that were necessary to extend the Interbus Agreement to international regular and special regular carriage of passengers by coach and bus, without amending or repeating the common rules of the main Agreement. However, it emphasises the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009 with regard to penalties and most serious infringements as well as maintains the obligation to fulfil the four conditions for access to the profession of a road passenger transport operator: effective and stable establishment, good repute, financial standing and professional competence. In addition, in order to safeguard the quality of regular and special regular services and to ensure respect for the rules, a Contracting Party can only sign, conclude, ratify or accede to the Protocol if it has already signed and concluded, ratified or acceded to the main Interbus Agreement.

Procedure:

In order to conclude the Protocol to the Agreement the Council needs the consent of the European Parliament as required by Article 218 TFEU.

In accordance with Rules 105 and 114(5), (7) and (8) of Parliament’s rules of procedure, the committee responsible shall submit a recommendation for the approval or rejection of the proposed act. Parliament shall then take a decision by means of a single vote, and no amendments to the Agreement may be tabled. Amendments in committee shall be admissible only if their aim is to reverse the recommendation proposed by the rapporteur.

Rapporteur’s position:

International regular and special regular carriage of passengers by coach and bus are important sectors of economy, providing jobs and affordable mobility solutions to European citizens and visitors alike. Expanding those services beyond the EU would greatly benefit EU citizens, foreign tourists, and the whole tourism industry, especially in the context of the need for the European economy, and tourism in particular, to quickly and efficiently recover after current Covid19 crisis. The use of carriage of passengers by coach and bus provides an opportunity for passengers to travel at more affordable prices to the same destinations they could reach by plane or train.

In the light of the above, your rapporteur suggests that the TRAN Committee give favourable recommendation on the conclusion of the Protocol.

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Title	Conclusion of the Protocol to the Agreement on the international occasional carriage of passengers by coach and bus (Interbus Agreement) regarding the international regular and special regular carriage of passengers by coach and bus
References	11441/2020 – C9-0027/2021 – 2020/0258(NLE)
Date of consultation / request for consent	17.2.2021
Committee responsible  Date announced in plenary	TRAN 8.3.2021
Rapporteurs  Date appointed	Maria Grapini 16.11.2020
Date adopted	25.5.2021
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	42 3 3
Members present for the final vote	Magdalena Adamowicz, Andris Ameriks, José Ramón Bauzá Díaz, Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Marco Campomenosi, Ciarán Cuffe, Jakop G. Dalunde, Johan Danielsson, Karima Delli, Gheorghe Falcă, Giuseppe Ferrandino, Mario Furore, Søren Gade, Isabel García Muñoz, Jens Gieseke, Elsi Katainen, Kateřina Konečná, Elena Kountoura, Julie Lechanteux, Bogusław Liberadzki, Peter Lundgren, Benoît Lutgen, Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska, Marian-Jean Marinescu, Giuseppe Milazzo, Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar, Caroline Nagtegaal, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, Philippe Olivier, Rovana Plumb, Tomasz Piotr Poręba, Dominique Riquet, Dorien Rookmaker, Massimiliano Salini, Sven Schulze, Vera Tax, Barbara Thaler, István Ujhelyi, Henna Virkkunen, Petar Vitanov, Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi, Lucia Vuolo, Roberts Zīle, Kosma Złotowski
Substitutes present for the final vote	Clare Daly, Roman Haider, Jutta Paulus, Marianne Vind
Date tabled	28.5.2021

 

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

42	+
ECR	Peter Lundgren, Tomasz Piotr Poręba, Roberts Zīle, Kosma Złotowski
NI	Mario Furore
PPE	Magdalena Adamowicz, Gheorghe Falcă, Jens Gieseke, Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska, Benoît Lutgen, Marian-Jean Marinescu, Giuseppe Milazzo, Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar, Massimiliano Salini, Sven Schulze, Barbara Thaler, Henna Virkkunen, Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi
Renew	José Ramón Bauzá Díaz, Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Søren Gade, Elsi Katainen, Caroline Nagtegaal, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, Dominique Riquet
S&D	Andris Ameriks, Johan Danielsson, Giuseppe Ferrandino, Isabel García Muñoz, Bogusław Liberadzki, Rovana Plumb, Vera Tax, István Ujhelyi, Marianne Vind, Petar Vitanov
The Left	Clare Daly, Kateřina Konečná, Elena Kountoura
Vets/ALE	Ciarán Cuffe, Jakop G. Dalunde, Karima Delli, Jutta Paulus

 

3	-
ID	Julie Lechanteux, Philippe Olivier
NI	Dorien Rookmaker

 

3	0
ID	Marco Campomenosi, Roman Haider, Lucia Vuolo

 

Key to symbols:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstention