College Read-Out — Wednesday, 13 May 2026

Key Points

• The EU adopted a passenger mobility package to enhance seamless travel across Europe.
• New regulations include rail ticketing and multi-modal digital mobility services.
• The initiative aims to simplify rail travel, providing one ticket for multi-modal journeys.
• Transparency and consumer protection are central to the new rail passenger rights framework.
• Rail ticketing market will open to independent vendors, increasing competition and options for passengers.
• Minimum connection times will be enforced to ensure reliability in multi-modal journeys.

Full Transcript

Transcribed automatically from EbS (Europe by Satellite) · English audio track · AI-generated · May contain errors · Verify before quoting

Opening Statement

Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the readout of the college meeting of this morning, along with the press conference on the passenger package adopted also this morning at the college meeting. And we have the pleasure of having with us Executive Vice President Fito and Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas. EVP, without further ado, the floor is yours.

Commissioner: Thank you, good afternoon, and welcome to the readout of our college meeting. Today we adopted new measures to make seamless travel across Europe a reality with three proposals that I will be presenting to you in a moment together with Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas. We also adopted an initiative to reinforce the EU's role as a vulnerable and front-line actor in global health. Commissioner Sikiela will come to this press room after this press conference to present it. Lastly, the college adopted a communication on the European citizens' initiatives titled the ban on conversion practice in the European Union. Commissioner Labib will give you the details at 2.30 p.m. today in the VIP corner. That's it for the readout of our meeting today. Let us now move to the topic of this press conference. Today the college, as I said, commissioners adopted the passenger mobility package. This package includes three legislative proposals, a regulation on rail ticketing, a regulation on multi-modal digital mobility services, and an amendment to the regulation on the rail passenger rights. Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas will walk you through the different elements of the package. I will be brief. I just want to highlight a few points that go beyond the technical content. First, in November we presented the high-speed rail action plan. That initiative focused on the supply side, building networks, strengthening infrastructure, and supporting the sector. Today we move to the demand side. Today we act for passengers. It is not always useful to compare rail and air transport. They respond to very different logics and serve different needs. But there is one thing air travel does very well. It is simple. You search, you compare, you book in a matter of minutes on one platform. That simplicity should not be a privilege reserved to air travel. Rail passengers deserve the same experience. That is exactly what this package delivers. One ticketing system, more transparency, more choice, more protection. Second point is rail mobility. It is not an isolated policy area. It is a strategic issue for Europe. Rail connectivity is not only a transport issue. It is also a cohesion issue and a single market issue. When we make it easier to move across Europe by train, we will reduce fragmentation and make borders less visible. We strengthen our internal market. We strengthen territorial cohesion. This is especially important for people living in internal border regions. Every day, cross-borders, workers, students, and travellers move between neighbouring countries. This means better opportunities for citizens and stronger connections between our regions. The third point is the work we are presenting today is also important for the European strategy for the right to stay we launched last week. People are more likely to remain in their region if they feel connected to opportunities. If they can travel easily to study, work, or access services and return home without unnecessary barriers. Rail is part of that answer. Let me close by thanking Commissioner Cicicosa for his strong commitment and excellent work on this package. This is another concrete step towards a more connected Europe. Thank you and I give the floor to colleague Apostolos.

Commissioner Tzitzikostas: Thank you Vice President Fito. Ladies and gentlemen, freedom of movement is indeed one of Europe's greatest achievements. And today, we are taking it a step further. By making travel across all 27 Member States simpler, smarter, and more passenger-friendly. With digital tools and integrated mobility services, Europeans will be able, with a click of a button, to plan, compare, and purchase multi-modal journeys across borders while benefiting from stronger rail passenger rights, greater transparency, and better protection every step of the way. Rail is one of the safest, most comfortable, and most efficient means of transport. has already more than 200,000 kilometres of railway lines connecting our countries, connecting our regions and connecting our cities. But despite the enormous work and the enormous network that we have, too many Europeans still experience rail traffic as complicated. Passengers tell us the same things. Finding the best route can be difficult. Comparing prices is frustrating. Booking cross-border journeys is too complicated. And passenger rights in the event of a missed connection are not clear. In short, Europe has very good rail infrastructure in most cases, and we are working, of course, to improve it further, investing in cross-border links and high-speed rail. But we do not have yet a truly seamless passenger experience. But today we are changing that. With Passenger Package we are presenting, covering multi-modal booking, rail ticketing and rail passenger rights. We are lifting, in other words, these barriers, making regional, long-distance and cross-border rail travel easier to plan and to book. And of course, it's very important to know that this is about making European mobility work better for people. Our vision is very clear here. One journey, one ticket. Passengers should not need to navigate through multiple websites, compare disconnected systems or worry whether their tickets are compatible with another one. They should be able to easily search, compare, combine and buy transport options across different operators and across different modes of transport, whether train, bus or air. And they should be able to do so with full transparency on prices, conditions and, where feasible, greenhouse gas emissions. Transparency and fairness are the heart of this package that we present today. Passengers should be able to make informed choices. And when they choose train, booking should become a lot easier. If, for example, a journey involves several trains operated by different companies across multiple member states, passengers should be able to buy that journey as a single ticket in one transaction. And most importantly, if something goes wrong, if the first train, for example, is delayed and if a connection is lost, passengers will be fully protected. That means clear rights to assistance, re-routing, reimbursement or compensation, of course depending on the exact circumstances. This is about providing passengers not only with convenience but also with confidence. At the same time, minimum connection times will be respected when single tickets are sold, ensuring that these journeys are reliable. Ladies and gentlemen, today's package is also about opening up the European rail ticketing market and creating a fairer competitive environment. Rail operators will be required to make their ticket data available to independent ticket vendors that wish to sell them. So ticket companies will be able to offer more rail options to passengers, also in combination with other modes of transport, making it easier for passengers to find multimodal options. And ticketing platforms owned today by major rail operators in Europe will also need to sell or relink tickets from competing rail services when other operators request it. This is a major step forward for transparency but also for consumer choice. Ladies and gentlemen, as a first step, within 12 months after the new rules enter into force, major rail ticketing platforms will have to display timetable information for all rail services operating domestically, including the cross-border connections departing from and arriving from the country. In practice, this means that if passengers search for a train connection on a national rail operator's website, they will also be available to see alternative rail services offered by competitors. This matters because, in our view, transparency drives competition, and competition always benefits passengers. So we strongly believe that these new rules can also contribute to more affordable rail travel over time, lowering the train ticket prices, because easier comparison of ticket prices and services encourages operators to compete and offer more attractive ticket prices. But this package is not only good for passengers, it is also good for businesses, including SMEs, innovation and the European rail sector as a whole. Smaller and newer operators will gain better visibility and fairer access to customers. Travel platforms and SMEs will be able to offer more integrated services. And as booking becomes simpler, we expect more Europeans to choose rail more often. That means more passengers for operators, stronger connectivity across Europe, and more sustainable transport. Ladies and gentlemen, as I said in the beginning, freedom of movement is one of Europe's greatest achievements. But freedom of movement must also be easy to use in our everyday lives. And today's passenger package brings us closer to a truly integrated European transport area, one where travelling across borders is as simple, as seamless as possible. One journey, one ticket, full rights for the passengers. That is the direction we move in, this is the future, and this is exactly what this package is about. Thank you. Thank you, EVP. Thank you, Commissioner, for this good news for all passengers travelling by train across Europe. We can now move to your questions. As usual, I remind you that we have the possibility to ask the questions in all EU official languages. Feel free to use this possibility. Angela, please.

Railway ticketing and regulations

Q (Post Italy): Yes, Angela Mauro. Angela Mauro of Post Italy. Thanks for the opportunity. Do you think the railway companies, the big ones, are ready for this? And given the fact that most of them are state-owned, or partly state-owned, do you think that this could be an obstacle to the one journey, one ticket package? In other words, do you see the risk that this becomes like the banking union or something like that? Thanks. Because I was checking my microphone. EVP, would you like to start?

Spokesperson: Yes, the message is clear. We have this important objective to have one ticket and also to create the condition to have an integration between the different companies. This is not simple, but I believe that it is a very important goal that we have. This very complete package goes in this clear direction. I think that it will be an opportunity also, as I said, for all member states, and we have to verify also the consequences and also the process of these important packages. Well, I want to be very clear. The aim of our initiative is to simplify the life of passengers, and there is no doubt that today their access to train tickets is excessively complex. One way to do so is to give visibility to all operators, including new entrants. that passengers know best. And this is often the website of the main company in the relevant member states. For example, SNCF in France, Deutsche Bahn in Germany, Trinitalia in Italy, et cetera. But this is not the only way. And this is very important to underline. We also make it easier for independent ticketing platforms to sell the tickets of all rail companies based on commercial agreements that must be fair, proportionate, and non-discriminatory. And we have the rules to make sure that they do so. Today, this is not the case, and their offer is, in my view, incomplete. Now, they will be obliged to sell rail connections that are offered within their territory, for example, member states where they are dominant, plus the cross-border connection that start and end in that member state. Please remember that they are obliged to sell the competitors only if they request so. Thank you very much. Other questions? Yes.

Q (Greek Public Broadcaster): Thank you very much. Elena Apostolidou from Greek Public Broadcaster. Are the new rules expected to take effect in all member states? When? And will the single ticket cover connections with buses or flight? And in Greek, one question, if I may. Commissioner Tzitzikostas, we're talking about trips, journeys, and tickets as well. It's mid-May. There's a crisis in the Middle East. So, what's the message, particularly given the crisis, the fuel prices? And what's your message to passengers wishing to travel during the summer period? Thank you.

Spokesperson: Let me start with the first question. This will be in effect one year after its adoption. So, the companies will have one year to adjust their websites and their platforms in order to be able to travel during the summer. To enter the new era for rail. I remind you that this proposal that we have today is a game changer for rail transportation in Europe. So, 12 months, but within these 12 months, they will have, they're obliged to show on their platforms all the possible connections a passenger might want to take. I'd like to be completely clear. As regards the upcoming tourist period, I want to be entirely clear. Having talked to people involved in the tourism sector all over Europe, there is no indication of mass cancellations. As a matter of fact, there's certain stability compared to last year. And in fact, there's a slight increase as well. Well, a smaller increase compared to what we would expect without the war. But in any case, the Commission last week already issued instructions to airlines, to passengers, and the entire tourism ecosystem all over Europe to make sure that we're all aware of their responsibilities and their duties in case of any problems arising with flights, airlines, for instance. Now, as regards fuel, airline fuel, there's no indication so far that there's any shortage in Europe. And let me remind you of the fact that 70% of airline fuel is being produced within the EU currently, and only 20% is being imported by Gulf countries. So there's no shortage so far. There's no indication of any shortages for the immediate future. The real issue currently is the increase in prices for fuel. And this leads quite a few airlines to cancellations for certain trips, planned journeys that are no longer financially viable given the increase in fuel prices. And according to our instructions last week, we've made it entirely clear that airlines that will cancel planned journeys for the future, well, that's acceptable if it's done due to an increase in fuel prices. However, if airlines cancel on very short notice planned journeys for this specific reason, we'll have to refund passengers. And let me remind you of the fact that the European Union has one of the best systems globally. Our legislative system in place is one of the best ones globally as regards protection of passengers. And that's very important for both European citizens and anybody wishing to visit Europe, because we all know that Europe is the number one tourist destination globally, precisely because it's a very stable and safe tourist destination. So we want to invite anyone interested for this summer period to visit Europe, a place that will not disappoint, there will be no problems, and of course they will be able to enjoy their holidays with their families. Having said this, and as European Commission, we're constantly monitoring the situation and the crisis in the Middle East. We're monitoring developments, we're pressuring to ensure that the Straits of Hormuz open again for free navigation and to resolve the problems that arise. And one of the issues arising is to do with airline fuel, certainly. And if it turns out that things become worse, we will intervene wherever necessary. We might have to adjust or amend our legislation in order to provide additional support to our airlines, or to member states, or of course the passengers and visitors if needed. And we give the floor there in the middle. Yes, you please.

Q: I have a first question on the multimodal package. So the goal is to ensure fair conditions for digital passenger transport ticketing markets. And right now, independent distribution platforms report that the commission rates set by the incumbent operators do not allow them to cover the distribution costs. So I was wondering, under this new regulation, will incumbent operators will not be required to pay distributors sufficient commissions? And second question, on the display of greenhouse gas emissions for different transport modes, will this become a mandatory requirement for all platforms, or operators will remain free to decide whether they want to provide this information or not?

Spokesperson: Look, the impact assessment that we did identified clear imbalances in bargaining power between large platforms and transport operators, and particularly smaller ones. The front principles are, in our view, necessary. Why? Because they will ensure fair access to distribution channels and to prevent unfair contractual conditions. They do not interfere, and this is very important for you to know, with commercial freedom, but establish a baseline for fair dealing. I remind you, we are not the Soviet Union, we are the European Union. Thank God. This helps create a more competitive and balanced market environment. So in this respect, I believe that there is no danger for such a thing. On top of that, the obligation is designed to be practical and proportionate. Platforms are only required to display emissions information where it has been provided by transport operators, meaning that they are not responsible for calculating or generating the data themselves. So the requirement does not create additional technical burdens. At the same time, it supports more informed consumer choices and contributes, of course, to broader sustainability objectives. Okay? Thank you. Yes, actually. Yeah.

Q (The Guardian): Thank you. Jennifer Rankin at The Guardian. We have a question for Commissioner Tzitzikostas. I'd like to build on the questions from colleagues. We know already that the railway operators or at least parts of the industry have said this is regulatory overreach, and they see it's unfair that they would have to sell other providers tickets. So how realistic is it that this proposal will be adopted and that it will become a reality for consumers? And then I also heard you say, of course, this will come into effect one year after the regulation, but could you give a more consumer-focused time for all the rail enthusiasts out there, when do you think this will actually become a reality? By what year, for example? Thank you.

Spokesperson: Thank you very much. You have to know that this proposal is 100% pragmatic. It is 100% fair, and it will be a reality on the ground. As I said earlier, it is going to be a game changer for rail transport in Europe that will benefit travellers, but also the companies. And I understand their frustration. I understand why they are reacting to this regulation. But I want to be very clear with you. When this comes into reality and it starts being implemented, everyone will see the benefits of this regulation. And on top of th

Commissioner: at, not only will it bring prices down, not only will it make it clearer and fairer for travellers to travel in Europe by train or multi-model, as they choose, but at the same time Europe will be leading one more time, because you have to understand that this system will not only work for the EU countries, our member states, but it will also work for other countries within our continent, like Norway, like Switzerland, with whom we have agreements and with whom train connections are indeed essential. So to answer the second leg of your question, I cannot predict the exact date. I wouldn't like to say something today that will not end up happening at the end. However, I have to tell you that I will push for the discussions in the decision-making process of the EU to go fast, because I want this to become a reality within the next one or two years. So I think that for sure, before the end of this Commission mandate, we will have this new era on rail, on the ground, working. Thank you. And please, here in the middle.

Q (AFP): Hello, thank you. Umberto Bacchi from AFP. I just have a quick question. You mentioned the impact assessment. I was wondering, what is the expected impact of these measures? Does the EU think they will lead to, I don't know, a 10, 20, 30 percent increase in international rate rather, or what's the figure? Thank you.

Spokesperson: About this, I think that it will be necessary to verify during the adaptation and also in the implementation of the proposals. Now, as Commissioner Tzitzikostas said, now we are waiting also the process, and also to have a clear proposal at the end of the process, because it is clear that we will have some amendments, some possible changes, and we have to understand better this solution, and then it will be possible to verify the real impact on this. And Vice President Fito

Commissioner: put it very, absolutely correctly, and I want to add to this the fact that our impact assessment shows us that we will have a decrease of prices, and at the same time approximately five percent increase of passengers willing to take the train, five percent on top of the increase that we were projecting for the years to come. So it's going to be a clear five percent increase only from this new system. So the benefits are both financial for the passengers, but also financial for the companies. Thank you. And let's take the question back in the – yes?

Recovery fund allegations in Spain

Q (Politico): Hello, good afternoon. This is Gregorio Sorgi from Politico. I had a question for the EVP Fito on the recovery fund, because over the last few days we've seen allegations that Spain has used almost 10 billion VARF funds to pay for pensions, and this has been widely picked up all across Europe. So I wanted to ask whether the Commission is aware or is monitoring and looking into this situation, and if these allegations were to be true, would that be in line with the rules of the RRF? Because so far we had always been under the impression that the money would not be able to use – to be used by countries to pay for ordinary spending. Thank you. It's off the topic, but let me see if EVP is ready to answer it already now. Otherwise, we wait for the end. But please, EVP.

Spokesperson: I'm awaiting this question, clearly, because I know that we have this discussion about this. The Commission is aware of the matter and is reviewing the report by the Spanish Court of Auditors on this investigation into the use of the Next Generation EU funds. While the payment of pensions and other forms of current expenditure is not eligible for RRF funds, it could be possible for Member States to temporarily use some of the liquidity from RRF disbursement to cover other budgetary outlays. Such cases of remanagement operations by Member States are temporary and have no impact on the protection of EU funds. The Commission clearly checks the national control systems and can intervene in cases of fraud, corruption or conflict of interest. So, good. We had our off-topic question. Now let's come back to the topic of the conference because I still see several questions here in the room and online. Please go ahead.

Q (Italian News Agency Nova): Hi. Alessia Balducci with Italian News Agency Nova. I have a question for Commissioner Fitto and I would ask it in Italian, if that's okay. You spoke about the topic of cohesion and the importance of connecting more remote regions. But the question is, in this proposal, what about cases whereby there aren't the conditions for train connections or the extremely slow train lines? I understand this idea of the multimodal ticket and that there might be a bus that's offered where somebody could take three hours to have a short journey, to go a short way. Do you have an answer for that?

Spokesperson: Well, you touched on a very important point there in the modernisation process of the cohesion policy that we are currently carrying out and also the close relationship between the goals of this package and the cohesion policy. As you know, we have launched a process of modernisation of the cohesion policy. We've just concluded the mid-term review, a very important process, giving the Member States the opportunity to revise their five top priority programmes. We have reprogrammed around €35 billion for this and we are continuing along this pathway. Of course, restructuring is going to be needed, that goes without saying, to reduce disparities between regions. That is a main focus of ours and I mentioned it during my introduction and I want to reiterate it. Last week, we held an event to launch the Right to Stay strategy, which really is at the heart of the questions you are asking. Our aim is to establish a number of initiatives whereby we will modernise the cohesion policy and we make sure it filters into regions that are further away from central areas and that we focus on the importance of the cohesion policy by using it to reduce divergences between regions. Today, we are proposing a package which covers a number of different systems. At the same time, we need to make sure that under the current programming period, but also under the future budget that we are now discussing on the basis of the Commission's proposal, we will have the means to act to make up for shortcomings. regions. Of course, we're all aware that there are some regions where infrastructure boosts are needed. I think that's very clear. So it's important that we also underline how useful it is for me to be here with Commissioner Tzitzikostas today, because the cluster that brings together tourism, transport, cohesion, agriculture, fisheries, the blue economy, et cetera, is a vital one. And I think we're really implementing this. We are adopting an integrated approach. We have different systems that we're bringing together and we are looking at how we can better connect remote regions by targeting investments towards them. And that's what we will continue to do. Thank you. I will take one question online and then see if we can still come back to the room.

Jet fuel supply concerns

Q: Yes, Mary, thanks for the talk. It's a question for Commissioner Tzitzikostas, and it is on jet fuel, if I may, because there are conflicting messages from the EU institutions because Piero Cipollone, who's a member of the ECB board, said last week that Europe is going to begin to run out of jet fuel within the end of May this month. And you keep talking in a reassuring tone, which is normal for a responsible politician. But, I mean, somebody is not telling the whole truth. Is it you or Mr. Cipollone? Many thanks.

Spokesperson: The future will show us. Indeed. Good. And I see still David in the room.

Competition in railway markets

Q (Radio Radicale): Thank you for the opportunity, Paola. David Carretta, Radio Radicale, Italian radio. I would have two questions. The first one on the topic of this readout. Basically, one element could be the possibility to increase the availability of tickets and so on. But there is another element which is quite important, which is competition in member states. We see the prices, for example, on railways where there is no competition, Brussels, Paris, they are very high. In France, competition is coming very slowly and the prices are still very high. In another country like Italy, competition was introduced a long time ago and the quality is high, the prices are low. So, basically, are you satisfied with the level of competition in the member states, especially the big ones? Or do you think that you should push more to the national governments to open the markets? The second question is on a story published today by Politico on the possibility to raise DG Rigo. I would like to ask Vice President Fitto, what would you think about this possibility? Would it be a good idea to to get rid of this or to have another much bigger DG in this house? Thank you.

Spokesperson: So, this is the last question. First of all, allow me to say one word to your previous colleague, because I don't want him to think I didn't want to answer for some reason. It's just that I answered this question in Greek earlier on, so I will repeat some of the elements in English. As I said, and I've said it in the past, EU refineries cover around 70% of jet fuel consumption in Europe. Only 20% is imported by the Gulf countries. And at this stage, we do not have any proof or any signs that we have a supply issue with jet fuel. Now, in accordance with the Accelerate EU communication of two weeks ago, the Commission will map European refining capacities, assess the needs, and identify potential collective actions to ensure full use of the existing capacities and access to products throughout the EU, as well as to increase production of sustainable biofuels. In other words, we want to know, and we know exactly what are the emergency stocks, in which countries, and how much are they in quantity. And only if needed, which is not the case now, and we don't have signs that it's going to be needed in the near future. If needed, we will start releasing emergency stocks, but in an orderly manner, with the coordination of the European Union. The main objective is to maximise the availability and operational capacity of Europe's refining sector, and at the same time, be ready for any possible scenario of, for example, escalation in the Middle East. Of course, the Commission coordination role is instrumental in monitoring and deciding on collective action, and we are working on all possible scenarios at this point. If we need, we will even adapt some of the policies and the decisions we have taken in order to facilitate member states, airlines, or any other industry or component of the European economy. Again, if and only if it is needed, which is not the case today. Now, on your question on competitiveness, I want to be very clear. Yes, competitiveness is key, but it is sometimes not enough, and in some cases, markets have been opened recently, like in Spain, for example, and the results are spectacular. You see the numbers. So we will continue to monitor the implementation of the fourth railway package so that competition continues to thrive in Europe. It is my absolute top priority, together with safety. And with this package, we support competition by making competitors better known. So we are already giving an answer to the concerns about competition in Europe through this proposal. These competitors, the smaller ones, are often the incumbent in their member state and want to compete in another member state, and they face the barriers that all new entrants face. And we need to help, because this way we create a more competitive Europe, a more competitive rail sector, but also a fairer and clearer system for our travellers. And before I give the floor to Vice President Fito, I would like to thank him for his invaluable support for the creation of this proposal. Vice President Fito, thank you very much for the overall collaboration we had throughout this year and a half, and especially for the proposals that we have brought up. I am sure that continuing this good collaboration will bring great results for Europe and all Europeans. Thank you. Thank you. And the question about – probably you mentioned the article this morning. I can say that cohesion is and will remain central in our policy. And the example that I mentioned before, it is a clear example of the work that we are doing to adapt, to modernise cohesion policy. Clearly, the European Commission in all – together with the DG region, inside the DG region, we are reflecting about the opportunity, the possibility to have a DG more efficient and also to have the right model, the best model. But this is the general approach for all DGs, for the organisation. And the long-scale review is ongoing, and when we'll discuss about it, we have the possibility also to face in this new situation also this point, but it's not now on the agenda in this moment. Good. Thank you very, very much to EVP and the Commissioner, and thank you for your participation and questions. Don't go too far. If you are interested, and I'm sure you will be interested, in the press conference by Commissioner Sikela on the – actually very timely. We should be able to resume in a few minutes, in about five to ten minutes maximum. Thank you all. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

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