Decision (EU) 2018/1195 on the signing of a Protocol to the Agreement on the international occasional carriage of passengers by coach and bus (Interbus Agreement)

Summary:

On 16 May 2018 the European Commission presented a proposal for a Council Decision on the signing of a Protocol to the Interbus Agreement regarding the international regular and special regular carriage of passengers by coach and bus.

The Council of the European Union adopted a Decision on 16 July 2018.

Further information:

The Interbus Agreement, which entered into force on 1 January 2003, currently covers the international occasional carriage of passengers by coach and bus. On 5 December 2014, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations to extend the scope of the Agreement to regular and special regular carriage of passengers. The negotiations were successfully concluded during the meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Interbus Agreement on 10 November 2017.

Background:

Regular and special regular international carriage of passengers by coach and bus are important sectors providing mobility to European citizens with an affordable price structure. Their further development beyond the EU would equally benefit EU citizens, foreign tourists, the tourist industry and European regions.

The constraints to this development are the differences in the bilateral agreements between Member States and third countries, which make the authorisation process and operation of international regular and special regular lines cumbersome. This is most clearly visible for long international regular lines, passing through several countries.

The proposed Protocol should facilitate the provision of regular and special regular services between the Contracting Parties to the Interbus Agreement and hence give rise to improved passenger transport links between them.

• Primary Source

EUR-Lex: COM(2018)288: Proposal for a Council Decision on the signing of a Protocol to the Agreement on the international occasional carriage of passengers by coach and bus (Interbus Agreement) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2018:288:FIN

---