Regulation establishing the European Union Agency for Railways

Scope

Founding regulation of the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), repealing Regulation (EC) No 881/2004 and defining the Agency's mandate under the Fourth Railway Package. It empowers ERA to issue single safety certificates and vehicle authorisations valid across Member States, approve ERTMS trackside equipment, and act as system authority for ERTMS and telematics applications. Essential reference for RUs, IMs, suppliers and NSAs interacting with ERA's one-stop-shop processes.

Regulation (EU) 2016/796 is the founding regulation of the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), repealing the earlier Regulation (EC) No 881/2004 and redefining the Agency's mandate as part of the Fourth Railway Package's institutional pillar. It empowers ERA to issue single safety certificates and vehicle authorisations that are valid across the applicable area of use in the EU, replacing the previous system of parallel national decisions, and gives the Agency a formal role in approving ERTMS trackside implementations before deployment. The Regulation also assigns ERA the role of system authority for ERTMS and for telematics applications, tasks including monitoring technical and operational compatibility, coordinating notified and designated bodies, and supporting the Commission in preparing and revising Technical Specifications for Interoperability. It sets out ERA's governance structure, including its Management Board, Executive Director and boards of appeal, and its cooperation duties with national safety authorities through the 'one-stop shop' single interface. Railway undertakings, infrastructure managers, suppliers and national safety authorities interact with ERA's mandate under this Regulation whenever they apply for authorisation, certification or ERTMS approval.