UNIFE The RAIL IND.

📢 New @ERA_railways Executive Director Oana Gherghinescu has the opportunity to shape the European Rail’s future 🇪🇺🚆! The appointment is welcomed by the European Rail Supply Industry, at a time when leadership and key regulatory decisions are required to ensure the European rail industry and broader sector remain as world leaders. The newly appointed Executive Director has many challenges and opportunities ready to meet, amongst them: ➡️Decisive action on ETCS, onboard signalling and operational rules harmonisation ➡️Streamlining of the Vehicle Authorisation and @ERTMS trackside approval processes ➡️#FRMCS and #DACroll-out ➡️Simplification of the Technical Specifications for Interoperability (#TSIs) ➡️Ensuring an on-going focus on Cybersecurity and digital network resilience. ➡️Strengthening the Agency’s resources ➡️Completion of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and Single European Railway Area (SERA) UNIFE has an unwavering dedication to ERA and its overall mission, and backs the newly appointed Executive Director achieveher mandate. UNIFE Director General Enno Wiebe stated: My warmest congratulations to Oana Gherghinescu, on her appointment. The Agency has consistently been a deeply valued and reliable partner with UNIFE, and we want to keep this relationship strong, for the benefit of consumers, the European industry, and the railway sector. It is now time to bring increased efficiency of procedures and regulatory predictability to the sector, which is vital to maintain the competitiveness of the European Rail Supply Industry. We are banking on the next ERA Executive Director to offer fresh ideas, problem-solving efforts, and practical methods that can achieve this goal in a supportive and collaborative environment. Read more👉 unife.org/news/new-era-execu…

Some quick takeaways from this morning’s @RailForum_EU event at @Europarl_EN: Are EU regulatory and financing frameworks adequate to boost EU competitiveness and meet transport decarbonisation and climate goals? PKP/PLK: ▪️Adequate rail financing ▪️Regulatory framework ensuring level playing field ▪️Priority to rail in national decarbonisation strategies ▪️Ensuring military mobility @EUAmbSchmidt Director Land Transport @Transport_EU: ▪️No continuation of business as usual, in particular for defence and military mobility!

We agree, @steph_sejourne!👍 🇪🇺 🚄 @UNIFE welcomes the comments of the Executive Vice President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy yesterday in the @Europarl_EN, who underlined the importance of buying quality and assessing the European value of a product. 🌍 As part of the upcoming review of Public Procurement Directives, we are strong supporters of clarity, flexibility and transparency. ⚖️ On top of this, we need to ensure the provision of legal clarifications and achieving a level-playing field with third country bidders, in conjunction and coordination with other instruments (e.g. Foreign Subsidies Regulation). 🖹 Read more about this, and other potential reforms here: @EU_Commission #CleanIndustrialDeal #PublicProcurement #Competitiveness #EURail

Yesterday (and again today!), @UNIFE attended the European Employment & Social Rights Forum, where the @EU_Commission launched it's Union of Skills Package. It is a much needed step in the right direction to reducing skills shortages, however more will be required to ensure the European Rail Supply Industry can attract, train and support women and young people going forward. Vital reforms such as developing targets for women studying #STEM and delivering a Skills Guarantee pilot are welcome, however we call on the Commission to implement STAFFER's Final Report from October 2024. Our industry - and the broader rail sector - needs to foster a new pool of talent, which is ready to drive Europe’s digital mobility transition. Growth, prosperity and greater #productivity is not possible without targeting more of the public, and diversifying the industry. #WomeninSTEM #Skills #EURail #EUSocialForum

🌍 The European rail industry is all over the world! 🇪🇺 Thanks to our partnership with the @EU_Commission and a range of other stakeholders, UNIFE is involved in the EU’s #GlobalGateway! 🚄 Through rail, the Global Gateway program is ensuring that rail projects and critical infrastructure across the world is being improved for locals wherever they live, with the help of European companies, while creating jobs at home. 📗 You can learn more about Global Gateway, UNIFE’s involvement in 2024, and our members role in the program in our Annual Report below! Read more here: unife.org/publication/annual…

🇪🇺 📗 The @EU_Commission today unveiled the Clean Industrial Deal, which is a welcome pathway to balancing sustainability and competitiveness, at a time when the European economy requires boosting. ⚙️🌐 Unlocking and unleashing the potential of the European #rail supply industry – a world leader facing an increasingly unfair competition landscape – is paramount. By reducing burdens and ensuring pathways to sustainable investment, Europe can entrench the European rail supply industry as a strategic asset. 🏗️ While there are many elements in this package which will support energy-intensive industries, its implementation must acknowledge the rail supply industry as a strategic sector in upcoming public procurement initiatives, and provide it with simpler and broader access to funding. #Competitiveness should be approached in a coherent way, and clean downstream industries such as rail supply, need to remain world leaders. 🆙 The European rail supply industry is responsible for approx. 650,000 jobs, and according to the World Rail Market Study 2024, the global rail market is worth €201.8bn. It is forecast to increase at the end of the decade to €240.8bn – growth of 3% per year. 💼 However, this forecast growth must also be safeguarded through appropriate legislative measures. We remain ready to work with the Commission on its plan to drive greener growth across the European economy.

📢Together with 20 other industry associations, we are urging the EU to reconsider Appendix C of the EU Taxonomy framework, which outlines the 'Generic criteria for Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) in pollution prevention and control regarding the use and presence of chemicals'. 💚 This appendix presents a major usability challenge, preventing companies developing critical green transition technologies from aligning their reporting with the #EUTaxonomy. ❌🌍 If not addressed, European companies could face a competitive disadvantage — unable to access #greenfinancing, while still bearing the heavy costs of complying with the EU Taxonomy’s reporting requirements 📊. 👉 Check out our joint letter for more details: unife.org/publication/joint-…

💪We’re working to ensure rail is funded, and the industry remains competitive across Europe and the world. 💼 As part of our Public Affairs work, we engage, meet, co-operate and manage relationships with Europe’s policymakers, to ensure the rail industry will continue to be the backbone of Europe’s mobility. 🗳️Learn more about how UNIFE navigated the EU Elections in 2024, and organised to ensure the industry’s voice is heard heading into the @EU_Commission's new mandate in our Annual Report. 📗Read all about it here: unife.org/publication/annual…

🏅 A sincere thank you to everyone who attended the @EU_RailwayAward yesterday evening. To have so many attendees from the many corners of Europe, and to see the enthusiasm for the cause, was wonderful. 💼 To gather and celebrate the people who champion and advocate for rail day-in and day-out is important. However, we also found time to continue moving forward the agenda on the issues that matter most - in particular financing and improving European #competitiveness. 🚄 Remember, our industry is central to solving the range of challenges Europe is facing - from climate change, competitiveness and European security. 👏 🏆 We wish another hearty congratulations to all award recipients - @EnricoLetta, @DominiqueRiquet and @JoDoppelbauer - and we appreciate all you've done for the industry and broader sector over your careers. To all our wonderful speakers, from the @POLAND25EU presidency - @DariuszKlimczak, @tzitzikostas and @MagdaKopczynska from the European Commission - your passion for rail and drive to improve European mobility is welcome, and appreciated by the industry. 👋Until next time! #EURA2025

⚙️📖Protecting and creating local jobs. 🚄💶Looking for new global growth opportunities. 📇🎯🤝Details about all our committees, member activities, goals and events in the past year. You can find all that and more in our 2024 Annual Report! Read it here: unife.org/publication/annual… #PublicProcurement #EUGlobalGateway #EURail

The last twelve months have been very busy for UNIFE, and our industry.🎆 Our Annual Report tells the story of an industry on the cusp of transforming itself, and through our products, changing the way European passengers and freight move across the continent.🚆🖥️ This brand-new wave of products, is being constantly improved through rigorous #research and #innovation, particularly in partnership with @EURail_JU. 🔬⚙️ Read more about what we achieved in 2024, and where are going in 2025 and beyond below.👇 unife.org/publication/annual… #FRMCS #ERTMS #reThinkIndustry #EUResearch

UNIFE was delighted to welcome at its office several members of the 🇳🇱@MinIenW and the Dutch ERTMS Programme Management, and to learn about the current and future roll-out of @ERTMS in The Netherlands, including the accompanying challenges. We agree to spotlight the cost drivers and work on this topic whilst ensuring regulatory stability. UNIFE believes that the ERTMS roll-out is a collaborative endeavour - involving all actors - and we are happy to further work with the different stakeholders and to contribute to its successful implementation.

💶 As work for the next EU Budget continues, a coalition of more than 40 transport organisations - of which UNIFE is an active member - have sent an open letter to Member States’ Ministers in charge of Finance and EU Affairs expressing the sector’s concerns. 🇪🇺 💪 A competitive and resilient Europe requires a stronger EU transport budget, and a strong transport sector is needed to build a competitive, net-zero and resilient Europe. 🚄 Europe’s transport sector strongly urges the Member States and the Commission to preserve and strengthen a solid dedicated European transport funding instrument in the future EU budget. 🤝This coalition is calling the Member States and the Commission to choose for an approach that strengthens Europe, and preserves a strong and centrally coordinated dedicated European transport funding instrument. 📨 Read the letter here: unife.org/news/a-competitive… #EUBudget #MFF #EUTransport

🏛️🚊This morning’s @RailForum_EU breakfast in the EU Parliament had a full house! 📗💶 We covered @UNIFE's World Rail Market Study 2024 findings, assessed whether rail industry growth could match Europe’s climate targets, and ultimately called on the EU institutions to support rail in the new Multi-Financial Framework. ❌ Rail sector supporters and other key stakeholders were adamant Europe could miss out on creating jobs and reducing transport emissions, if rail failed to secure significant EU funding in the upcoming budgetary process. 🚥 On top of being an opportunity to help meet Europe’s climate targets, but to also roll out technology like @ERTMS and the Digital Automatic Coupling, which could take Europe’s rail network to the next level. 👉 Read more about the event and the importance of funding European rail here: unife.org/news/rail-industry… @Europarl_EN @EU_Commission @francoiskalfon @EURail_JU #EURail #MultiFinancialFramework #EUBudget

And we’re ready! 🚄 ☕ 🇪🇺 💪🏛️ Our @RailForum_EU group, which includes supporters of rail across the EU institutions, has come together in the EU Parliament this morning for the first time this mandate. 🌍 🚊 We’re going to discuss whether ambitious EU Climate objectives can translate into expanded job creation, and further growth of rail markets both in Europe and worldwide! #EURail #EUClimate #EUEmissions

🇨🇿 🚄🇪🇺🤝 Thanks to our Czech members and partners @azd_praha, @ACRI_zeleznice (Prague) and @SkodaGroupEN (Plzeň), for two intensive days of open exchanges and constructive dialogues on: ▶️@ERTMS deployment ▶️opportunities for the rail supply industry through the EU #GlobalGateway initiative ▶️the need for a revised #publicprocurement legal framework to include the broad application of the MEAT criteria Our declared and shared goal is to defend a competitive rail supply industry at both national and European level. #EURail #EUCompetition

⚠️🇪🇺 EU Member State are at risk of missing out on significant funds to improve their railway networks and renewing their rolling stock fleets, which could create jobs, boost European #competitiveness and deliver much-needed rail upgrades. 🚄 💶 Since 2021, the @EU_Commission's Recovery and Resilience Facility (#RRF) has offered up to €650 billion in grants and low-interest loans, which were designed to finance Member States’ reforms and investments. ⏱️ With the deadline for Member States to make their payment requests to the European Commission in August 2026, time is growing short to complete this process. 🇮🇹 🇪🇸 🇫🇷 🇷🇴 Some EU Member States have capitalised to boost national rail networks, such as Italy, who has planned €29 billion in different rail upgrades. Spain, France and Romania have also taken advantage of the funds on offer, allocating over €4.5bn each in infrastructure, #digitalisation, rail urban transport and signalling. 📘 Both Mario Draghi’s Competition Report and Enrico Letta’s More Than A Market Report call for greater investment in projects such as @ERTMS and the Digital Automatic Coupling. 📨 UNIFE has also alerted the European Commission on the difficulties faced by several Member States on the implementation of rail projects under the RRF. 👉 Read more here: unife.org/news/eu-member-sta… #EURail #MFF #EUBudget

Our 2024 Annual Report is finally here! 🚄 📖 🇪🇺 As we ended one European Commission mandate and began another, our message was clear – Europe must become more competitive and invest in rail 💶! 🗺️ In a very busy year, we put together our priorities for the next mandate and painted a promising picture – one where the capacity of the European rail industry is unleashed to deliver smarter, cleaner and safer transport for Europeans wherever they live. 🚆 🤞 👍 By supporting approximately 650,000 jobs across Europe industry-wide, we are vital to the continent’s economic security, future prosperity and re-imagining European mobility. 🔬 ⚙️ 🖥️ Read all about it here: unife.org/wp-content/uploads… #PublicProcurement #FRMCS #ERTMS #reThinkIndustry #EUResearch

🚄 We are proud to announce that as of today, the MORANE-2 Project is underway!📡 This €13.5m program will test the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) technology in real conditions and show the @EU_Commission's commitment to achieving sustainable, efficient, and competitive rail transport. ⚙️📶 As part of the project, the FP2-MORANE-2 prototypes will be tested in three European laboratories and under real track conditions, including on both conventional and high-speed lines. 🚅🚥 We are very excited about what this project can achieve, and how it is bringing together the railways, industry and other stakeholders for a common cause. 🔗Read more here: unife.org/news/transforming-… #MORANE2 #FRMCS #ERTMS