Text tabled : A7-0196/2012

  Vilja Savisaar-Toomast (ALDE), in writing. – (ET) In today’s vote, I supported the adoption of the newly formulated first railway package as agreed upon in the trilateral meetings between the Council, the Commission and Parliament. I am glad to see that concrete steps are finally being taken to implement the legislation that was adopted more than ten years ago. Unfortunately, many of the Member States have still not transposed all of the directives of the first railway package into national law, even though that should have been done by 15 March 2003. The Commission postponed initiating infringement proceedings against Member States for improper or incomplete implementation of the first railway package until June 2008. Infringement proceedings were initiated against 22 Member States, which shows that the creation of a single European railway area is still a long way off. A free and accessible transportation market is one of the pillars of the single European common market. The free movement of goods and persons must be guaranteed, and it is especially important to safeguard this using a more environmentally friendly mode of transport. An increase in the use of railways can only be ensured through the establishment and development of a single infrastructure and a single system of rules. I am therefore glad to see that the adoption of this report was supported by the majority of Members, myself included.