Established ARTZU a significant step in the liberalization

Croatia has made a significant step in liberalizing the market of a railway services since the arrival of competing operators in the Croatian Railways (HZ), establishing a regulatory body, and the Agency for regulating the market of railway services (ARTZU), has been rated the workshop "The market of railway services - legal framework and regulatory authorities" held today in the organization of the ARTZU and Vienna Consult Company.

At the workshop have been presented a legal regulation of railway services market in the European Union which Croatia needs to adopt by the experience of Austria whose regulatory authority is considered as one of the most successful in the Europe.

The workshop was held under the PHARE project "Restructuring and development of the Croatian railway system" within the framework of the European legislation. Workshop has brought together about 50 participants - Railwaymen, representatives of ministries and administrative bodies and professional associations.

Established agencies like ARTZU before the abolition of the monopoly of national carriers and rail carriers, are up to establish the competition proved to be a big hit in the European Union, which are, like the Croatian made in their railway sector, said Klaus Juergen Uhl of Vienna Consulta.

ARTZU's activities will contribute to the regulation of markets and establish a fair competitive relations, said Uhl. In his words, in countries where the regulator was established after the liberalization appeared a number of difficulties in the development of competition.

On the other hand, countries with successful controller achieved the best results in rail traffic in terms of traffic growth.

Since the series has met the prerequisites for inclusion in the European system of regulation of railway traffic, Croatia, he said, may be the leading country in the region of Southeast Europe in the area.

Croatian joining the European Union will 'liberate' the market of railway services in passenger and cargo transport in relation to foreign operators.

Liberalization of railway transport in Europe began on January 1st 2007, and the liberalization of international passenger traffic occurred on January 1st this year.

Negotiations on the liberalization of the internal models of passenger transportation will be opened in the EU, according to latest forecasts, "railway package", in 2012.