(1)

Article 19 of Regulation (EU) 2016/796 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) requires the European Union Agency for Railways (the ‘Agency’) to address recommendations to the Commission on the technical specifications for interoperability (‘TSIs’) and their revision, in accordance with Article 5 of Directive (EU) 2016/797, and to ensure that TSIs are adapted to technical progress, market trends and social requirements.

(2)

On 23 September 2017, the Commission requested the Agency to issue a recommendation pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article 5 of Directive (EU) 2016/797 for the revision of the technical specifications for interoperability relating to the ‘telematics applications for freight’ subsystem of the rail system in the Union (‘TAF TSI’).

(3)

On 18 October 2017, the Agency issued a recommendation on the TAF TSI, in order to update the structure of the TAF TSI messages, data and message model, Wagon and Intermodal Unit Operating Database (WIMO), and to adopt an IT standard for the communication layer of the Common Interface. These changes have been introduced in order to overcome the former proprietary logic, and to allow a quicker and less costly implementation of this tool in the TAF TSI users' community. The reference files have been revised accordingly.

(4)

The provisions of the Annex to Commission Regulation (EU) No 1305/2014 (3) related to TAF TSI should be amended in order to define the Common interface Implementation Architecture in line with the structure of messages described above.

(5)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee established in accordance with Article 51(1) of Directive (EU) 2016/797,