Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/572 — Reporting structure for railway accident and incident investigation reports

Scope

Defines the common reporting structure that national investigation bodies must follow for railway accident and incident investigation reports under Directive (EU) 2016/798. Standardises the summary, factual description, analysis and conclusions sections so that reports are comparable across Member States and support EU-wide safety learning and follow-up of recommendations.

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/572 defines the common reporting structure that national investigation bodies must use for railway accident and incident investigation reports under Directive (EU) 2016/798. It prescribes a standard set of sections -- summary, immediate facts of the occurrence, factual account of the circumstances, analysis of causal and contributory factors, conclusions, and safety recommendations -- so that reports produced by different national investigation bodies are structured consistently and comparable across the EU. This harmonised structure supports the European Union Agency for Railways in aggregating and analysing safety data across Member States, and helps ensure that safety recommendations arising from an investigation are tracked and followed up by the addressee authorities or organisations. National investigation bodies, which must be functionally independent of national safety authorities, regulators and railway undertakings, apply this reporting structure whenever they investigate a serious accident or, at their discretion, other accidents and incidents with implications for railway safety. It complements the wider safety investigation duties set out in the railway safety directive.