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11/24/05

CEN :European Standards can energize interoperability

CEN

European Standards can energize interoperability

Brussels (22 November 2005) – Currently, in the EU, trains carry less than 8% of the total goods transported and the average speed of EU freight trains is 10 km/h. Delegates at the CEN conference in Lille on 'The future of railway standards in Europe' discussed how CEN, the newly established European Railway Agency, ERA, and other actors in the railway sector can help to improve this situation.

"I am convinced that this event will energise standardization activities in the rail sector", said Zoltan Kazatsay, Deputy Director General in the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy and Transport. "The European Standardization Bodies have already introduced measures to improve their efficiency. In particular the reduction of the development time for standards and the introduction of new standardization products (…) will be key issues for the coming years."

The aims of the conference were to showcase CEN as an important party in the future of railway standards. Delegates clarified responsibilities of each party involved in the development of European requirements, i.e. legislation, Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSIs) and European Standards (ENs). Moreover, CEN encouraged commitment from all partners to produce standards with a wider scope and within shorter timescales.

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