Speed up the certification and licensing procedures of rail systems in the EU, with uniform technical specifications ETCS/ERTMS and without reducing the level of safety.

As Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Konstantinos Kyranakis highlights at the European institutional level the need for a radical acceleration and simplification of the certification, approval and licensing framework for rail systems, at a time when European Union is attempting to enhance the interoperability of networks through technologies such as ETCS and ERTMS, noting that the existing complexity, repetitive national procedures and extensive bureaucracy slow down the rapid adoption of critical safety systems and make it necessary to establish uniform European technical specifications, to recognise already certified systems between Member States and to strengthen the role of European institutions, with a view to a more efficient, coherent and high-level safe rail network across the EU.

In particular, on the initiative of Konstantinos Kyranakis, the issue of accelerating the development of interoperable rail technologies was raised at the Informal Council of Transport Ministers of the EU.

Europe needs a simpler, faster and more predictable framework

During the discussion, there was a common recognition by the European Commission and member states that the current operation of the approval, testing, certification and authorisation procedures remains highly bureaucratic, complex and time-consuming. It is indicative that, according to official EU figures, only 17% of the European Union’s rail network currently has an active and operational ETCS.

In his intervention, Mr Kyranakis stressed that Europe needs a simpler, faster and more predictable framework for the installation, testing, certification and licensing of these systems, without any compromise on safety.

The position of the Greek side

The Greek side supported three main directions: the avoidance of duplication of procedures for systems that have already been certified and proven safe in another Member State, the establishment of common and stable technical specifications for ERTMS, subsystems and rolling stock, and the strengthening of the role of the European Railway Agency in the approval and licensing procedures, in cooperation with the Member States and national safety authorities.

Kyranakis stressed that the simplification of procedures does not work against safety, but in favour of it, as it allows for the faster installation and operational operation of critical European safety systems on the rail network.

The Greek minister said: “Our position is clear: Europe needs a simpler and faster licensing framework, without any compromise on safety. When a system is safe and proven to work in one EU member state, the same heavy, bureaucratic process cannot be required from scratch to put it into operation in another part of the European Railways. This position was widely accepted by almost all EU Transport Ministers.”