Lord Berkeleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they intend to introduce regulations to implement European Union railway open access directives before the start of the United Kingdom presidency in July 2005. [HL960]
§ Lord Davies of OldhamThe Government currently expect to transpose the directives (2001/12/EC, 2001/13/ EC and 2001/14/EC) by the end of 2005. Transposing these directives is not expected to have a substantive impact on the railways in Great Britain, which already comply with the vast majority of the directives' requirements, aiming to open up the European rail market to competition.