Interview with Mr Josef DOPPELBAUER, Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Railways

The College of Europe, in collaboration with the European Union Agency for Railways and the European Training Centre for Railways (ETCR) organizes from 2 to 13 July 2018 the 56th edition of the course ‘EU Transport and Railway Affairs’.

We have interviewed Mr Josef DOPPELBAUER, Executive Director of the Agency, to further explore this collaboration.

The Agency was founded in 2004 by Reg. EC 881/2004 as the European Railway Agency, and reshaped in 2016 to become the European Union Agency for Railways. What led to the change and which are, from your point of view, the main achievements over these two years of existence?

The objective is to further progress towards a Single European Rail Area and to create a European authority for vehicle authorization and safety certificates. Since 2016 the Agency has run a massive preparation programme in order to ensure its readiness for the new tasks.

Which is, on the contrary, the main challenge that the Agency is facing?

The abovementioned legislative change (Fourth Railway Package, 4RP) is the most important change of railway law in history. We therefore face a massive challenge to explain the impact of this 4RP to all stakeholders.

In 2015 the Agency started collaborating with the College of Europe to organize the long-existing ETCR seminar, now named EU Transport and Railway Affairs (ETCR). Which is, from your point of view, the main added value of this training programme?

The ETCR Summer Course is the only European training programme of its kind. Participants will get the unique opportunity to meet the decision-makers and opinion leaders of EU rail politics and learn about the elements of the EU railway regulatory framework and its impact on rail business perspectives. They can build a network of international colleagues and confront the challenges they are working on at home with the solutions others have given to the same issues in the various European countries.

Which is the main added value that the Agency brings to the training course?

The Agency gives a first-hand explanation of the new legal framework at the course. In addition, the participants have the opportunity to ask questions and to engage in a lively discussion with high-level representatives of the EU Agency for Railways.

Thank you very much for your time. We look forward to meeting you this summer during the course!
More information: coleurope.eu/etcr

 

All NEWS from the College of Europe Development Office