Any country in the EU should already have their train operators and infrastructure operators decoupled. This has been a thing since the 90s, if I’m recalling correctly. For instance in the case of the Netherlands the national train operator is NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen) and the infrastructure operator is ProRail.
I believe privatizing and liberalizing the railways is a mistake that will ultimately harm the traveler more than it helps. It may be a necessary evil for improved international train travel, but for domestic trips I don’t think the EU should be imposing on the member states how they operate their railways.
In the case of NS for instance, it is technically a private company but it’s 100% owned by the Dutch state.
Practically this makes it a state-owned operator, even if it is technically private.
Then the Dutch state just grants the concession on the “core-net” for domestic trips to NS.
(The EU does not appear to be a fan of this arrangement, but it seems to be widely supported in Dutch parliament)
I did some research and the NS was never privatised.
What I mean is if any industry is privatised before or after a country joins the EU, they can’t nationalise it anymore. And after joining the EU, they can’t create new national industries.
For example, if Spain found oil on its shores and wanted to economically exploit that, they would have to privatise the oil fields. They wouldn’t be able to set up a new national public oil industry.
For an example of a privatised industry, think the healthcare industry in the Netherlands. It can’t be nationalised and made public, it has to remain private forever as long as the EU exists.
For an example of a privatised industry, think the healthcare industry in the Netherlands. It can’t be nationalised and made public, it has to remain private forever as long as the EU exists.
What about renationalising an industry that was already nationalised during EU Association?
Any country in the EU should already have their train operators and infrastructure operators decoupled. This has been a thing since the 90s, if I’m recalling correctly. For instance in the case of the Netherlands the national train operator is NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen) and the infrastructure operator is ProRail.
I believe privatizing and liberalizing the railways is a mistake that will ultimately harm the traveler more than it helps. It may be a necessary evil for improved international train travel, but for domestic trips I don’t think the EU should be imposing on the member states how they operate their railways.
It’s illegal in the EU for any member state to nationalise a private industry. Like literally.
So the best we can have now is “regulation” on the privitised rail industry. Yay.
I mean… There are ways around that…
In the case of NS for instance, it is technically a private company but it’s 100% owned by the Dutch state.
Practically this makes it a state-owned operator, even if it is technically private.
Then the Dutch state just grants the concession on the “core-net” for domestic trips to NS.
(The EU does not appear to be a fan of this arrangement, but it seems to be widely supported in Dutch parliament)
I did some research and the NS was never privatised.
What I mean is if any industry is privatised before or after a country joins the EU, they can’t nationalise it anymore. And after joining the EU, they can’t create new national industries.
For example, if Spain found oil on its shores and wanted to economically exploit that, they would have to privatise the oil fields. They wouldn’t be able to set up a new national public oil industry.
For an example of a privatised industry, think the healthcare industry in the Netherlands. It can’t be nationalised and made public, it has to remain private forever as long as the EU exists.
What about renationalising an industry that was already nationalised during EU Association?
It isn’t. EDF have been recently nationalized.
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