On the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council empowering Austria to amend its existing bilateral road transport… agreement with Switzerland with a view to authorising cabotage operations in the course of the provision of international road passenger transport services by coach and bus in the border regions between the two countries

The decision is proposed in response to a request by Austria to empower it in line with Article 2(1) TFEU to amend its bilateral road transport agreement with Switzerland of 1958 with a view to authorising cabotage operations during the provision of passenger transport services by coach and bus in the border regions between the two countries. In the June 2025 meeting of the EU-Switzerland Inland Transport Committee, Switzerland informed the Commission that it was also interested in concluding such an agreement.

Proposed cabotage operations within the Union by third country carriers, not holding a Community licence, affect the functioning of the internal market for coach and bus services as established through Regulation (EC) No 1073/2009. They also affect the Land Transport Agreement between the EU and Switzerland, under which cabotage operations are not authorised, except in the case of pre-existing rights in bilateral agreements between Member States and Switzerland at the time of the conclusion of that Agreement (however, no agreements foresaw cabotage rights).

Commitments intended by Austria fall within the scope of the Union’s exclusive competence. However, in accordance with Article 2(1) TFEU, the Union may empower Member States to act in areas where it has exclusive competence. Such an empowerment must be given by the Union legislator in accordance with the legislative procedure referred to in Article 91 TFEU.

The Rapporteur notes that, under the Commission proposal, the authorisation is subject to the conditions that there is no discrimination between carriers established within the Union and no distortion of competition. There is also a clearly limited geographical scope of the cabotage operations, as they would only be permitted in the border regions of Austria specified in the text of the proposed decision - administrative districts of Bludenz, Bregenz, Dornbirn, Feldkirch in the region of Vorarlberg and the district of Landeck in the region of Tyrol - in the course of the provision of coach and bus services between Austria and Switzerland.

The Rapporteur proposes to support the Commission proposal as it would improve cross-border public transport links between the two countries, make travel by bus and coach more accessible and attractive and provide more choice for the people living and working on both sides of the border.