The Italian Chamber of Deputies has formally submitted its opinion on the application of the Principles of Subsidiarity and Proportionality to three linked EU proposals covering multimodal booking, rail ticketing, and single-ticket passenger protection. The opinion, transmitted to the Council of the European Union on 30 July 2026, was sent by the Italian Chamber on 29 July 2026 and addresses the three interinstitutional files 2026/0114 (COD), 2026/0113 (COD), and 2026/0115 (COD), corresponding to COM(2026) 231, COM(2026) 232, and COM(2026) 233.
The proposals, published by the European Commission, aim to modernise rail and multimodal ticketing across the EU. The first proposal (COM(2026) 231) would establish a framework for multimodal booking, allowing passengers to plan and purchase journeys involving multiple transport modes through a single platform. The second (COM(2026) 232) focuses on rail ticketing, seeking to improve the availability and comparability of rail tickets across operators. The third (COM(2026) 233) would amend Regulation (EU) 2021/782 to strengthen the protection of passengers holding single tickets, ensuring that their rights are upheld even when a journey involves multiple carriers.
The Italian opinion, transmitted via a cover note addressed to the President of the Council, is part of the subsidiarity and proportionality scrutiny mechanism. Under this mechanism, national parliaments have the opportunity to assess whether the EU proposals respect the principles of subsidiarity (acting only where objectives cannot be sufficiently achieved by member states) and proportionality (not exceeding what is necessary to achieve the objectives). The opinion's content has not been disclosed in the cover note, but its submission triggers a formal review process within the Council.
The proposals are expected to have a significant impact on several stakeholders. For EU passengers, the reforms promise greater convenience and transparency in booking multi-modal journeys, potentially lowering costs and simplifying travel. For rail operators and other transport providers, the new rules would impose compliance costs related to data sharing, ticketing interoperability, and passenger protection obligations, which could be particularly burdensome for smaller operators. National regulatory authorities would face increased oversight responsibilities, while EU institutions would need to ensure that the new framework is implemented consistently across member states.
The Italian opinion adds to the ongoing legislative process. The proposals are now subject to the ordinary legislative procedure, involving the European Parliament and the Council. The Council will consider the Italian opinion as part of its deliberations, and the European Parliament is expected to examine the proposals in its relevant committees. The timeline for adoption remains unclear, but the involvement of national parliaments signals the sensitivity of the proposals in terms of national sovereignty and regulatory burden.
While the Italian opinion does not specify whether it supports or objects to the proposals, its submission highlights the importance of the subsidiarity and proportionality principles in this area. The Council will now assess the opinion alongside other national parliament submissions, which could influence the final shape of the legislation. The proposals aim to balance the benefits of integrated transport with the need to respect member states' regulatory autonomy, a tension that is likely to be a central theme in the upcoming negotiations.