European Commission puts forward action plan to improve security of rail passengers in the EU

Today the European Commission is presenting an EU action plan to improve the security of rail passengers and staff in the EU by establishing a new cooperation and coordination framework. The goal is to prevent and respond to possible terrorist attacks targeting rail services by creating an effective cooperative environment and make recommendations that will help Member States coordinate rail security actions efficiently.

While transport operators and authorities in the EU have been providing solutions to safety risks for a long time, emerging and evolving security risks are forcing them to put in place new and appropriate responses. Measures introduced unilaterally by individual Member States may create barriers, be under-optimised and generate costs. Part of the Action Plan is to establish an EU Rail Passenger Security Platform. The Platform will provide support in collecting information on rail security, on optimising the security of cross-border rail services and defining a coordination mechanism to avoid unilateral decisions at national level. It will play a key role in the efficient exchange of vital information at the EU level. It will also help Member States and rail stakeholders build a mechanism to quickly assess new threats and security incidents, and to undertake an appropriate coordinated response. The action plan delivers on President Juncker's political priority of creating a Europe that protects, empowers and defends.

Next steps

By 2020, the European Commission will report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the implementation of the Action Plan.

Further information

A Europe that protects: EU works to build resilience and better counter hybrid threats