The UIC Finance Committee, attended by over 21 members, met on 14 June together with its Chairman Mr T. Joindot (SNCF), and finance directors and accounts specialists representing railway companies from several countries (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Finland, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Morocco, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Switzerland).

This annual meeting was an opportunity to obtain information from members on the work conducted by the various working groups on passenger and freight revenue accounts, tax and statistical issues, and auditing of passenger revenues in the light of the problems encountered by UIC members, solutions put forward in view of past experience and analysis of the difficulties.

This year the specific presentations focused on:

• Comparison between the tax charges levied on rail and air transport (road transport also benefiting from more favourable conditions)
• Centralised system of monitoring information related to freight transport by rail
• Preparation by all stakeholders in the passenger sector of the forthcoming TAP TSI

The finance directors present at the meeting expressed their satisfaction on the topics presented and wish to anticipate the changes in the economic railway context.

Following the Finance Committee, the General Assembly of the BCC (Brussels Clearing House) for financial operations was held, which brings together some 50 members and deals with close to 5 billion euros a year in financial flows.

The GA approved the BCC’s accounts for 2011 and the suggested changes to the rules of procedure in order to improve response times and thus protect creditors with regard to debtors in arrears.

On the occasion of the GA, a presentation delivered by Mr Fleischer from Eurofima (financing of railway rolling stock) outlined some ways in which Eurofima can shield itself and those benefiting from Eurofima funding from the ongoing financial and sovereign debt crises and their consequences.