EU transport ministers on 8 June 2026 debated a wide range of railway issues, including ERTMS deployment, rail freight competitiveness, passenger rights, and autonomous vehicles, with member states staking out divergent positions on the pace and scope of harmonisation. The Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council, chaired by Cyprus, heard Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas frame rail as at a critical juncture, linking infrastructure, regulation, safety, and competitiveness.
On ERTMS, Greece argued for a stronger role for the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) and mutual recognition, while Bulgaria stressed the need to balance with national competences. Italy and Czechia backed predictable certification and stable technical specifications (TSIs). Belgium urged simplification but warned against overloading ERA. Lithuania and Denmark called for stable standards to control costs. For rail freight, Czechia, Sweden, Hungary, Romania, and Poland stressed decarbonisation, military mobility, and eastern-border connectivity, with Hungary highlighting infrastructure quality gaps.
On railway industry competitiveness, Spain and Portugal flagged delivery delays from major EU manufacturers and called for a high-level dialogue. Hungary noted non-European manufacturers outperforming EU ones. Germany and France supported a strategic framework, with France advocating European-content requirements. On the passenger package, Germany and France welcomed measures but warned against bureaucracy; Belgium strongly backed single ticketing; Czechia cautioned that banning broken tickets could raise fares. For autonomous vehicles, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Germany, and Czechia supported harmonised rules and testbeds. On clean transport corridors, Germany and Sweden backed the initiative; Romania pressed for extension to all corridors.
The chair concluded that the Council took note of the information presented. The debate sets the stage for future legislative proposals, with rail operators, manufacturers, passengers, infrastructure managers, and EU institutions all affected by the outcomes.