27.3.2007   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 70/1

(1)

Article 16 of the Treaty confirms the place occupied by services of general economic interest in the shared values of the Union.

(2)

Article 86(2) of the Treaty lays down that undertakings entrusted with the operation of services of general economic interest are subject to the rules contained in the Treaty, in particular to the rules on competition, insofar as the application of such rules does not obstruct the performance, in law or in fact, of the particular tasks assigned to them.

(3)

Article 73 of the Treaty constitutes a lex specialis in relation to Article 86(2). It establishes rules applicable to the compensation of public service obligations in inland transport.

(4)

The main objectives of the Commission's White Paper of 12 September 2001‘European transport policy for 2010: time to decide’ are to guarantee safe, efficient and high-quality passenger transport services through regulated competition, guaranteeing also transparency and performance of public passenger transport services, having regard to social, environmental and regional development factors, or to offer specific tariff conditions to certain categories of travellers, such as pensioners, and to eliminate the disparities between transport undertakings from different Member States which may give rise to substantial distortions of competition.

(5)

At the present time, many inland passenger transport services which are required in terms of general economic interest cannot be operated on a commercial basis. The competent authorities of the Member States must be able to act to ensure that such services are provided. The mechanisms that they can use to ensure that public passenger transport services are provided include the following: the award of exclusive rights to public service operators, the grant of financial compensation to public service operators and the definition of general rules for the operation of public transport which are applicable to all operators. If Member States, in accordance with this Regulation, choose to exclude certain general rules from its scope, the general regime for State aid should apply.

(6)

Many Member States have introduced legislation providing for the award of exclusive rights and public service contracts in at least part of their public transport market, on the basis of transparent and fair competitive award procedures. As a result, trade between Member States has developed significantly and several public service operators are now providing public passenger transport services in more than one Member State. However, developments in national legislation have led to disparities in the procedures applied and have created legal uncertainty as to the rights of public service operators and the duties of the competent authorities. Regulation (EEC) No 1191/69 of the Council of 26 June 1969 on action by Member States concerning the obligations inherent in the concept of a public service in transport by rail, road and inland waterway (4), does not deal with the way public service contracts are to be awarded in the Community, and in particular the circumstances in which they should be the subject of competitive tendering. The Community legal framework ought therefore to be updated.

(7)

Studies carried out and the experience of Member States where competition in the public transport sector has been in place for a number of years show that, with appropriate safeguards, the introduction of regulated competition between operators leads to more attractive and innovative services at lower cost and is not likely to obstruct the performance of the specific tasks assigned to public service operators. This approach has been endorsed by the European Council under the so-called Lisbon Process of 28 March 2000 which called on the Commission, the Council and the Member States, each in accordance with their respective powers, to ‘speed up liberalisation in areas such as … transport’.

(8)

Passenger transport markets which are deregulated and in which there are no exclusive rights should be allowed to maintain their characteristics and way of functioning insofar as these are compatible with Treaty requirements.

(9)

To be able to organise their public passenger transport services in the manner best suited to the needs of the public, all competent authorities must be able to choose their public service operators freely, taking into account the interests of small and medium sized enterprises, under the conditions stipulated in this Regulation. To guarantee application of the principles of transparency, equal treatment of competing operators and proportionality, when compensation or exclusive rights are granted, it is essential that a public service contract between the competent authority and the chosen public service operator define the nature of the public service obligations and the agreed reward. The form or designation of the contract may vary according to the legal systems of the Member States.

(10)

Contrary to Regulation (EEC) No 1191/69, the scope of which extends to public passenger transport services by inland waterway, it is not considered advisable for this Regulation to cover the award of public service contracts in that specific sector. The organisation of public passenger transport services by inland waterway is therefore subject to compliance with the general principles of the Treaty, unless Member States choose to apply this Regulation to that specific sector. The provisions of this Regulation do not prevent the integration of inland waterway services into a wider urban, suburban or regional public passenger transport network.

(11)

Contrary to Regulation (EEC) No 1191/69, the scope of which extends to freight transport services, it is not considered advisable for this Regulation to cover the award of public service contracts in that specific sector. Three years after the entry into force of this Regulation the organisation of freight transport services should therefore be subject to compliance with the general principles of the Treaty.

(12)

It is irrelevant from the viewpoint of Community law whether public passenger transport services are operated by public or private undertakings. This Regulation is based on the principles of neutrality as regards the system of property ownership referred to in Article 295 of the Treaty, of the freedom of Member States to define services of general economic interest, referred to in Article 16 of the Treaty, and of subsidiarity and proportionality referred to in Article 5 of the Treaty.

(13)

Some services, often linked to specific infrastructure, are operated mainly for their historical interest or tourist value. As the purpose of these operations is manifestly different from the provision of public passenger transport, they need not therefore be governed by the rules and procedures applicable to public service requirements.

(14)

Where the competent authorities are responsible for organising the public transport network, apart from the actual operation of the transport service, this may cover a whole range of other activities and duties that the competent authorities must be free either to carry out themselves or entrust, in whole or in part, to a third party.

(15)

Contracts of long duration can lead to the closing of the market for a longer period than is necessary, thus diminishing the benefits of competitive pressure. To minimise distortions of competition while protecting the quality of services, public service contracts should be of limited duration. It is, however, necessary to make provision for extending public service contracts by a maximum of half their initial duration where the public service operator has to invest in assets for which the depreciation period is exceptional and, because of their special characteristics and constraints, in the case of the outermost regions as specified in Article 299 of the Treaty. In addition, where a public service operator makes investments in infrastructure or in rolling stock and vehicles which are exceptional in the sense that both concern high amounts of funds, and provided the contract is awarded after a fair competitive tendering procedure, an even longer extension should be possible.

(16)

Where the conclusion of a public service contract may entail a change of public service operator, it should be possible for the competent authorities to ask the chosen public service operator to apply the provisions of Council Directive 2001/23/EC of 12 March 2001 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the safeguarding of employees' rights in the event of transfer of undertakings, businesses or parts of undertakings or businesses (5). This Directive does not preclude Member States from safeguarding transfer conditions of employees' rights other than those covered by Directive 2001/23/EC and thereby, if appropriate, taking into account social standards established by national laws, regulations or administrative provisions or collective agreements or agreements concluded between social partners.

(17)

In keeping with the principle of subsidiarity, competent authorities are free to establish quality standards for public service obligations, for instance with regard to minimal working conditions, passenger rights, the needs of persons with reduced mobility or environmental protection.

(18)

Subject to the relevant provisions of national law, any local authority or, in the absence thereof, any national authority, may choose to provide its own public passenger transport services in the area it administers or to entrust them to an internal operator without competitive tendering. However, this self-provision option needs to be strictly controlled to ensure a level playing field. The competent authority or group of authorities providing integrated public passenger transport services, collectively or through its members, should exercise the required control. In addition, a competent authority providing its own transport services or an internal operator should be prohibited from taking part in competitive tendering procedures outside the territory of that authority. The authority controlling the internal operator should also be allowed to prohibit this operator from taking part in competitive tenders organised within its territory. Restrictions on the activities of an internal operator do not interfere with the possibility of the direct award of public service contracts where they concern transport by rail with the exception of other track-based modes such as metro or tramways. Furthermore, the direct award of public service contracts for heavy rail does not preclude the possibility for competent authorities to award public service contracts for public passenger transport services on other track-based modes such as metro and tramway to an internal operator.

(19)

Subcontracting can contribute to more efficient public passenger transport and makes it possible for undertakings to participate, other than the public service operator which was granted the public service contract. However, with a view to the best use of public funds, competent authorities should be able to determine the modalities for subcontracting their public passenger transport services, in particular in the case of services performed by an internal operator. Furthermore, a subcontractor should not be prevented from taking part in competitive tenders in the territory of any competent authority. The selection of a subcontractor by the competent authority or its internal operator needs to be carried out in accordance with Community law.

(20)

Where a public authority chooses to entrust a general interest service to a third party, it must select the public service operator in accordance with Community law on public contracts and concessions, as established by Articles 43 to 49 of the Treaty, and the principles of transparency and equal treatment. In particular, the provisions of this Regulation are to be without prejudice to the obligations applicable to public authorities by virtue of the directives on the award of public contracts, where public service contracts fall within their scope.

(21)

Some invitations to tender require the competent authorities to define and describe complex systems. These authorities should therefore be empowered, when awarding contracts in such cases, to negotiate details with some or all of the potential public service operators after tenders have been submitted.

(22)

Invitations to tender for the award of public service contracts should not be mandatory where the contract relates to modest amounts or distances. In this respect, greater amounts or distances should enable competent authorities to take into account the special interests of small and medium sized enterprises. Competent authorities should not be permitted to split up contracts or networks in order to avoid tendering.

(23)

Where there is a risk of disruption of the provision of services, the competent authorities should be empowered to introduce emergency short-term measures pending the award of a new public service contract which is in line with all awarding conditions of this Regulation.

(24)

Public passenger transport by rail raises specific issues of investment burden and infrastructure cost. In March 2004, the Commission presented a proposal to amend Council Directive 91/440/EEC of 29 July 1991 on the development of the Community's railways (6) so as to guarantee access for all Community railway undertakings to the infrastructure of all Member States for the purpose of operating international passenger services. The aim of this Regulation is to establish a legal framework for compensation and/or exclusive rights for public service contracts and not the further opening of the market for railway services.

(25)

In the case of public services, this Regulation allows each competent authority, within the context of a public service contract, to select its operator of public passenger transport services. Given the differences in the way Member States organise their territory in this respect, competent authorities may justifiably be allowed to award public service contracts directly for railway travel.

(26)

The compensation granted by competent authorities to cover the costs incurred in discharging public service obligations should be calculated in a way that prevents overcompensation. Where a competent authority plans to award a public service contract without putting it out to competitive tender, it should also respect detailed rules ensuring that the amount of compensation is appropriate and reflecting a desire for efficiency and quality of service.

(27)

By appropriately considering any effect of complying with the public service obligations on the demand of public passenger transport services in the calculation scheme of the Annex, the competent authority and the public service operator can prove that overcompensation has been avoided.

(28)

With a view to the award of public service contracts, with the exception of emergency measures and contracts relating to modest distances, the competent authorities should take the necessary measures to advertise, at least one year in advance, the fact that they intend to award such contracts, so as to enable potential public service operators to react.

(29)

Directly awarded public service contracts should be subject to enhanced transparency.

(30)

Given that competent authorities and public service operators will need time to adapt to the provisions of this Regulation, provision should be made for transitional arrangements. With a view to the gradual award of public service contracts in line with this Regulation, Member States should provide the Commission with a progress report within six months after the first half of the transitional period. The Commission may propose appropriate measures on the basis of these reports.

(31)

During the transitional period, the introduction of the provisions of this Regulation by the competent authorities may take place at different times. It may therefore be possible, during this period, that public service operators from markets not yet affected by the provisions of this Regulation tender for public service contracts in markets that have been opened to controlled competition more rapidly. In order to avoid, by means of proportionate action, any imbalance in the opening of the public transport market, competent authorities should be able to refuse, in the second half of the transitional period, tenders from undertakings, more than half the value of the public transport services performed by which are not granted in accordance with this Regulation, provided that this is applied without discrimination and decided in advance of an invitation to tender.

(32)

In paragraphs 87 to 95 of its judgment of 24 July 2003 in Case C-280/00 Altmark Trans GmbH (7), the Court of Justice of the European Communities ruled that compensation for public service does not constitute an advantage within the meaning of Article 87 of the Treaty, provided that four cumulative conditions are satisfied. Where these conditions are not satisfied and the general conditions for the application of Article 87(1) of the Treaty are met, public service compensation constitutes State aid and is subject to Articles 73, 86, 87 and 88 of the Treaty.

(33)

Compensation for public services may prove necessary in the inland passenger transport sector so that undertakings responsible for public services operate on the basis of principles and under conditions which allow them to carry out their tasks. Such compensation may be compatible with the Treaty pursuant to Article 73 under certain conditions. Firstly, it must be granted to ensure the provision of services which are services of general interest within the meaning of the Treaty. Secondly, to avoid unjustified distortions of competition it may not exceed what is necessary to cover the net costs incurred through discharging the public service obligations, taking account of the revenue generated thereby and a reasonable profit.

(34)

Compensation granted by the competent authorities in accordance with the provisions of this Regulation may therefore be exempted from the prior notification requirement of Article 88(3) of the Treaty.

(35)

This Regulation replaces Regulation (EEC) No 1191/69; that Regulation should therefore be repealed. For public freight transport services, a transitional period of three years will assist the phasing out of compensation not authorised by the Commission in accordance with Articles 73, 86, 87 and 88 of the Treaty. Any compensation granted in relation to the provision of public passenger transport services other than those covered by this Regulation which risks involving State aids within the meaning of Article 87(1) of the Treaty should comply with the provisions of Articles 73, 86, 87 and 88 thereof, including any relevant interpretation by the Court of Justice of the European Communities and especially its ruling in Case C-280/00 Altmark Trans GmbH. When examining such cases, the Commission should therefore apply principles similar to those laid down in this Regulation or, where appropriate, other legislation in the field of services of general economic interest.

(36)

The scope of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1107/70 of 4 June 1970 on the granting of aids for transport by rail, road and inland waterway (8) is covered by this Regulation. That Regulation is considered obsolete while limiting the application of Article 73 of the Treaty without granting an appropriate legal basis for authorising current investment schemes, in particular in relation to investment in transport infrastructure in a public private partnership. It should therefore be repealed in order for Article 73 of the Treaty to be properly applied to continuing developments in the sector without prejudice to this Regulation or Council Regulation (EEC) No 1192/69 of 26 June 1969 on common rules for the normalisation of the accounts of railway undertakings (9). With a view to further facilitating the application of the relevant Community rules, the Commission will propose State aid guidelines for railway investment, including investment in infrastructure in 2006.

(37)

With a view to assessing the implementation of this Regulation and the developments in the provision of public passenger transport in the Community, in particular the quality of public passenger transport services and the effects of granting public service contracts by direct award, the Commission should produce a report. This report can, if necessary, be accompanied by appropriate proposals for modifying this Regulation,

(a)

‘public passenger transport’ means passenger transport services of general economic interest provided to the public on a non-discriminatory and continuous basis;

(b)

‘competent authority’ means any public authority or group of public authorities of a Member State or Member States which has the power to intervene in public passenger transport in a given geographical area or any body vested with such authority;

(c)

‘competent local authority’ means any competent authority whose geographical area of competence is not national;

(d)

‘public service operator’ means any public or private undertaking or group of such undertakings which operates public passenger transport services or any public body which provides public passenger transport services;

(e)

‘public service obligation’ means a requirement defined or determined by a competent authority in order to assure public passenger transport services in the general interest that an operator, if it were considering its own commercial interests, would not assume or would not assume to the same extent or under the same conditions without reward;

(f)

‘exclusive right’ means a right entitling a public service operator to operate certain public passenger transport services on a particular route or network or in a particular area, to the exclusion of any other such operator;

(g)

‘public service compensation’ means any benefit, particularly financial, granted directly or indirectly by a competent authority from public funds during the period of implementation of a public service obligation or in connection with that period;

(h)

‘direct award’ means the award of a public service contract to a given public service operator without any prior competitive tendering procedure;

(i)

‘public service contract’ means one or more legally binding acts confirming the agreement between a competent authority and a public service operator to entrust to that public service operator the management and operation of public passenger transport services subject to public service obligations; depending on the law of the Member States, the contract may also consist of a decision adopted by the competent authority:

(j)

‘value’ means the value of a service, a route, a public service contract, or a compensation scheme for public passenger transport corresponding to the total remuneration, before VAT, of the public service operator or operators, including compensation of whatever kind paid by the public authorities and revenue from the sale of tickets which is not repaid to the competent authority in question;

(k)

‘general rule’ means a measure which applies without discrimination to all public passenger transport services of the same type in a given geographical area for which a competent authority is responsible;

(l)

‘integrated public passenger transport services’ means interconnected transport services within a determined geographical area with a single information service, ticketing scheme and timetable.

(i)

clearly define the public service obligations with which the public service operator is to comply, and the geographical areas concerned;

(ii)

establish in advance, in an objective and transparent manner, the parameters on the basis of which the compensation payment is to be calculated in a way that prevents overcompensation. In the case of public service contracts awarded in accordance with Article 5(2), (4), (5) and (6), these parameters shall be determined in such a way that no compensation payment may exceed the amount required to cover the net financial effect on costs incurred and revenues generated in discharging the public service obligations, taking account of revenue relating thereto kept by the public service operator and a reasonable profit;

(iii)

determine the arrangements for the allocation of costs connected with the provision of services. These costs may include in particular the costs of staff, energy, infrastructure charges, maintenance and repair of public transport vehicles, rolling stock and installations necessary for operating the passenger transport services, fixed costs and a suitable return on capital.

(a)

for the purposes of determining whether the competent local authority exercises control, factors such as the degree of representation on administrative, management or supervisory bodies, specifications relating thereto in the articles of association, ownership, effective influence and control over strategic decisions and individual management decisions shall be taken into consideration. In accordance with Community law, 100 % ownership by the competent public authority, in particular in the case of public-private partnerships, is not a mandatory requirement for establishing control within the meaning of this paragraph, provided that there is a dominant public influence and that control can be established on the basis of other criteria;

(b)

the condition for applying this paragraph is that the internal operator and any entity over which this operator exerts even a minimal influence perform their public passenger transport activity within the territory of the competent local authority, notwithstanding any outgoing lines or other ancillary elements of that activity which enter the territory of neighbouring competent local authorities, and do not take part in competitive tenders concerning the provision of public passenger transport services organised outside the territory of the competent local authority;

(c)

notwithstanding point (b), an internal operator may participate in fair competitive tenders as from two years before the end of its directly awarded public service contract under the condition that a final decision has been taken to submit the public passenger transport services covered by the internal operator contract to fair competitive tender and that the internal operator has not concluded any other directly awarded public service contract;

(d)

in the absence of a competent local authority, points (a), (b) and (c) shall apply to a national authority for the benefit of a geographical area which is not national, provided that the internal operator does not take part in competitive tenders concerning the provision of public passenger transport services organised outside the area for which the public service contract has been granted.

(a)

the name and address of the competent authority;

(b)

the type of award envisaged;

(c)

the services and areas potentially covered by the award.

(a)

name of the contracting entity and its ownership;

(b)

duration of the public service contract;

(c)

description of the passenger transport services to be performed;

(d)

description of the parameters of the financial compensation;

(e)

quality targets;

(f)

conditions relating to essential assets.

(a)

before 26 July 2000 on the basis of a fair competitive tendering procedure;

(b)

before 26 July 2000 on the basis of a procedure other than a fair competitive tendering procedure;

(c)

as from 26 July 2000 and before … (13) on the basis of a fair competitive tendering procedure;

(d)

as from 26 July 2000 and before … (13) on the basis of a procedure other than a fair competitive tendering procedure.

(a)

until the entry into force of common rules on the allocation of infrastructure costs, where aid is granted to undertakings which have to bear expenditure relating to the infrastructure used by them, while other undertakings are not subject to a like burden. In determining the amount of aid thus granted, account shall be taken of the infrastructure costs which competing modes of transport do not have to bear;

(b)

where the purpose of the aid is to promote either research into, or development of, transport systems and technologies which are more economic for the Community in general.