I would like, moreover, Commissioner, the Commission to commit itself rapidly, with you, to a process of modernisation and development of intermodal infrastructures, mainly on the international corridors of Road Transport Telematics (RTT), through a European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) equipment system and allowing a genuine junction with the port infrastructures on the one hand and river infrastructures on the other.

As it has been held throughout this report, the justification for the need for Europol to act as a central authority alongside the Member States’ central offices stems mainly from the major restrictions imposed by Europol’s current legal framework: Europol is unable to forward information directly to Member States (it may only do so through the national liaison office for each Member State - something which hampers and slows down the supply of information) and to forward personal data to a third State or body unless an agreement to that effect has been concluded beforehand, as provided for in the Council Act of 12 March 1999 (OJ C 88, 30 ...[+++].3.1999, p. 1).

It provides a strong impetus towards fruitful cooperation and cohesion at the interface between East and West in the border regions.

The technical annex to this Communication shows how this rapid migration strategy aims to achieve a critical mass, i.e. a situation in which there are so many lines and trains equipped with ETCS that the rest have to be equipped with it as well.

Accordingly, if the European ETCS system is not put in place in a project for the upgrading of an existing railway line or the construction of a new one, interoperability will be made more difficult on that line for the entire service life of the equipment.

TBL is an ATC system partially installed on lines of NMBS/SNCB (presently: 1200 beacons and 120 trainborne equipment TBL1, 200 beacons and 300 trainborne equipment TBL2, all lines for speeds higher than 160 km/h equipped with TBL2).