The European Commission threatens rail freight transport in Europe, Germany's EVG railway workers union says.
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In the midst of a climate crisis, it is attacking two of the largest rail freight companies in Europe, putting thousands of jobs at Fret SNCF and DB Cargo at risk.
The European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) and railway workers from Germany and France are calling on the Commission to abandon its counterproductive approach and develop a real strategy to promote green rail freight transport in Europe.
The European Commission has opened an investigation into the French company Fret SNCF. It deals with the examination of state aid from 2007 to 2019.
Although the investigation is still ongoing, the French government has already made a proposal that would lead to the dissolution of the company.
Similar investigations are also being carried out against the German company DB Cargo.
These attacks could put a total of up to 30,000 jobs at risk.
The dissolution of these companies would not only have a social impact, but would also be a serious setback for efforts to make freight transport more climate-friendly.
Fret SNCF and DB Cargo are key players in European rail freight transport and are responsible for more than half of rail freight transport in their countries.
They also play an important role in the ecological transformation of freight transport.
The European Commission had the goal of doubling the share of rail freight transport by 2050. But the current attacks suggest that they were just empty words.
In recent decades, the share of rail freight transport in the EU has been steadily declining.
The liberalisation policy has done more harm than good to rail freight.
The European Commission's decision is therefore absurd and endangers the jobs of railway workers today and those of future generations.
Therefore, the demand of railway workers in Germany and France is clear: rail freight transport must not be weakened, as it is an important instrument for the energy transition. Splitting up the railways and artificial competition will not lead to the long-term investments needed for a real green transition. ■