The EU first introduced rail passengers’ rights protection back in 2007. Less than a decade later, the rules are under review again. According to the Commission, there are still many areas where the scope of passengers’ rights can be broadened, and new mechanisms for their more effective enforcement could be introduced on national and European levels.
The new proposal will have an enormous impact on industry. Both private and state-owned rail operators. In particular, the coming reform of passengers’ rights system will address the significant incoherence between levels of passengers’ rights protection among various jurisdictions in the EU, as there are still many exemptions applicable in certain Member States, which decrease the overall standard of passengers’ rights protection.
In addition, the EU will focus on ensuring better enforcement of passengers’ rights and their access to information related to their rights. Moreover, anti-discrimination provisions of relevant rail regulations should be improved, as well as prevention of transport disruptions, including those caused by so-called “force majeure”, enhanced.