Ref. Ares(2022)8450017 - 06/12/2022
To:
Frans Timmermans
Executive Vice-President, European Commission
Adina Vălean
Transport Commissioner, European Commission
Thierry Breton
Internal Market Commissioner, European Commission
Copy:
Henrik Hololei
Director General, DG MOVE
Kerstin Jorna,
Director General, DG GROW
Herald Ruijters
Acting Deputy Director General, DG MOVE
Kristian Schmidt
Director Land Transport, DG MOVE
Brussels, 17 November 2022
Regarding: Call for an ambitious MDMS proposal
Dear Executive Vice-President Timmermans,
Dear Commissioner Vălean,
Dear Commissioner Breton,
The undersigned organizations represent European distributors of passenger rail services, rail
entrants and European rail travellers, and we are writing in support of strong European action
for a more open and fair rail ticketing framework. Given the crucial ‘enabling’ role that
independent ticket vendors play,
we call on the European Commission to propose an
ambitious Regulation on Multimodal Digital Mobility Services (MDMS)1 as soon as possible.
The MDMS Regulation represents a cornerstone of the EU’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility
Strategy. It will make EU-wide multimodal journey planning and buying tickets easier for
journeys involving one or more transport operators and/or modes. It also aims to ensure that
dominant incumbent rail operators negotiate fairly with digital services wishing to distribute
their tickets. We are convinced that the MDMS Regulation can be a real EU success story,
because it has the potential to:
1.
Contribute to Europe’s sustainability goals by encouraging modal shift and allowing
for easier access to sustainable transport modes;
1 Inception Impact Assessment on Multimodal Digital Mobility Services, Ref. Ares(2021)6062336
2.
Support cross-border and national mobility. As with the now-famous Roaming
Regulation2, this initiative has the potential to unlock train travel throughout the EU.
Independent digital ticket distributors are offering something different than
incumbents’ own sales channels by creating a truly pan-European passenger
experience, bringing the European single market for rail to life;
3.
Increase consumer welfare by providing access to all available offers for transparent
comparison, making booking easier and by supporting innovative players who bring
new services to the market. This will provide tangible benefits for the lives of all
European citizens;
4.
Contribute to the digitalization of the rail sector and market access by opening the
door for innovative digital tools;
5.
Facilitate competition in the rail market by creating a level-playing field in the vital
area of ticket sales, for players of all sizes.
Recent comments by European Commission officials on the importance of solving ticketing
issues in rail3 have been highly encouraging. However, the MDMS proposal has been delayed
and we are concerned that adoption might not be achieved during the current mandate.
We
call on the European Commission to make MDMS a clear political priority and ensure this
important framework delivers against its goals and becomes a reality.
We stand ready to continue assisting and supporting the European Commission’s services in
developing the MDMS Regulation ahead of the planned publication.
Yours sincerely,
2 Speech by Commissioner Vălean on the Presentation of the Efficient and green Mobility package (Speech 22/559
), Interview by EVP
Timmermans on BNR Nieuwsradio
3 “
For rail to become an attractive travel choice for many more passengers, decisive action is needed in the area of ticketing, so that cross-
border train tickets become easier to find and book, and more attractive in price. (…) Railway companies and ticket vendors should be able to
offer attractive tickets without undue market barriers when accessing existing ticket vending channels, ticket and fare data as well as data
and operations in reservation systems”, Communication on an Action plan to boost long distance cross-border passenger rail (COM (2021)
810 final), p. 13.