Skip to main content
Mobility and Transport

Multi-annual contracts

EU transport policy aims to set the legal framework for infrastructure managers and Member States to provide rail infrastructure at the best value for money. Maintaining the infrastructure in terms of quality, reliability, flexibility and customer orientation are crucial for the competitiveness of the rail system as a whole. However, there is still concern about the sustainable financing of existing rail infrastructure, the quality of infrastructure service and how to get infrastructure managers to perform better.

The Communication to the European Parliament and the Council on "Multi-annual contracts for rail infrastructure quality" COM(2008)54 adopted on 6 February 2008 recommends measures to Member States and infrastructure managers to combine financial equilibrium with an appropriate level of rail infrastructure services.

The Directive 2012/34/EU establishing a single European railway area provides new rules on multi-annual contracts.

Related documents

Legislation

DIRECTIVE 2012/34/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 21 November 2012 establishing a single European railway area (recast)

Communication on "Multi-annual contracts for rail infrastructure quality" COM(2008)54 of 6 February 2008

Annex SEC(2008)131 to the Communication COM(2008)54

Full impact assessment report [SEC(2008)132]

Summary impact assessment report [SEC(2008)133]

Public consultation

Summary of replies of the public consultation which ended on 12 September 2007