The UIC European Management Committee (EMC) met in Bonn, Germany, on 13 September on the fringes of the mobility congress ‘Traffic Talks 2011’ organised with the participation of Deutsche Bahn, CER, the association of German transportation companies VDV as well as the German railway industry association VDB.

The EMC meeting was chaired by Mr Guillaume Pepy, President of SNCF and also attended by Dr Rüdiger Grube, DB President, EMC Vice Chairman; Mr Mauro Moretti, CEO of FS Italiane and UIC Vice Chairman; Mrs Maria Wasiak, Chairperson of PKP Group; Mr Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, Director-General of UIC; Mr Simon Fletcher, UIC Regional Coordinator, Europe and the representatives from ATOC, CP, FTA, RFF, Hungrail and Veolia who form the EMC. Mr Johannes Ludewig, Executive Director of CER and his appointed successor Mr Libor Lochman also attended as observers.

The points considered on the agenda were very constructive and related to the strategic positioning of UIC in its support of the members and the development of business-focussed projects as well as their funding.

It also considered a particular matter related to the important field of research and how this is essential to the successful development of rail in Europe. The rail operating community in Europe (Railway Undertakings and Infrastructure managers), being at the very heart of the daily operation of the rail network in Europe, has and must continue to have a very influential role in this development which, it was unanimously agreed by EMC, must be undertaken in very close cooperation with the key players such as the European Commission in association with CER and EIM and the supply industry.

A proposal to enlarge the EMC was considered and will be submitted for decision to the UIC Regional Assembly Europe (RAE) in December. This most welcome evolution illustrates the increasing interest from members and is a clear demonstration of the added value that they place in their membership of the UIC and their attachment to the European region.