Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2018 of 26 July 2024 as regards the revision of the fees and charges payable to the European Union Agency for Railways and their conditions of payment

‘1 The Agency shall levy fees in the following cases: (a) for the submission of applications through the OSS to the Agency, where such fees are not included in the fixed fees for the processing of applications; (b) for the processing of applications, requests and notifications submitted to the Agency, including for the issuing of estimates referred to in Article 4 or where an application, request or notification is subsequently withdrawn by the applicant; (c) where the Agency, acting on its own initiative, restricts, amends or reviews a decision issued in accordance with Directive (EU) 2016/798 or Directive (EU) 2016/797. The Agency may levy fees where it revokes an authorisation for placing on the market due to a subsequently established non-compliance with the essential requirements of a vehicle in use or a vehicle type in accordance with Article 26 of Directive (EU) 2016/797, or where a holder of a single safety certificate no longer satisfies the conditions for the certification in accordance with Article 17(5) and (6) of Directive 2016/798.

2 The applications, requests and notifications referred to in paragraph 1, first subparagraph, points (a) and (b), shall cover: (a) authorisations for the placing on the market of vehicles and of vehicle types in accordance with Article 20 and 21 of Regulation (EU) 2016/796 other than those specified in point (b) of this paragraph; (b) authorisations for the placing on the market of a vehicle or a series of vehicles which is in conformity with an authorised vehicle type pursuant to Article 25(1) of Directive (EU) 2016/797; (c) single safety certificates in accordance with Article 14 of Regulation (EU) 2016/796; (d) decisions for approval of the interoperability compliance of an ERTMS track-side equipment solution with the relevant TSI in accordance with Article 22 of Regulation (EU) 2016/796; (e) pre-engagement applications in accordance with Article 22 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/545 and Article 2(3) and Article 4(5) of Implementing Regulation 2018/763; (f) appeals referred to in Article 58 of Regulation (EU) 2016/796 in accordance with Article 7 of this Regulation; (g) registrations in the European register of authorised types of railway vehicles (ERATV) of a new version of a vehicle type or a new version of a vehicle type variant in accordance with Article 15(3) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/545; (h) notifications in accordance with Article 16(4) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/545, including any decisions of the Agency to that effect.’

‘2 Without prejudice to paragraph 3, point (a), the amount of fees for processing applications referred to in Article 2(2), points (a), (c), (d) and (e), and for performing the activities referred to in Article 2(1), first subparagraph, point (c), and Article 2(1), second subparagraph, shall be the total of the following: (a) the number of hours spent by Agency staff and external experts, on the processing of the application multiplied by the hourly rate of the Agency specified in point 1 of the Annex; (b) the relevant amounts submitted by the national safety authorities (“NSAs”) resulting from the cost for processing of the national parts of the application, including assessments related to border stations, as appropriate.

3 The amount of fees for the submission and processing of the following applications, requests and notifications shall be the relevant fixed amount specified in point 3, Table B, of the Annex and shall include the fee for using the OSS referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, where appropriate: (a) applications under Article 2(2), point (a), of this Regulation, for freight wagons as defined in point 2.1 of the Annex to Commission Regulation (EU) No 321/2013 where the area of use is the whole Union; (b) applications under Article 2(2), point (b); (c) requests under Article 2(2), point (g); (d) notifications under Article 2(2), point (h). The fixed amount referred to in the first subparagraph shall be due for payment at the time of the submission of the application, request or notification.

4 The amount of charges for services referred to in Article 2(3) of this Regulation shall be the number of hours spent by Agency staff and external experts multiplied by the hourly rate of the Agency set out in point 1 of the Annex. For services referred to in Article 43 of Regulation (EU) 2016/796 the charge per individual participant shall be the result of the division of such amount of charges by the estimated number of participants to the Agency’s assistance activity, unless agreed otherwise.

5 At the request of the applicant, a 20 % reduction of the amount levied by the Agency for an application, request or notification referred to in Article 2(1) shall apply in case of micro, small or medium-sized enterprise. For the purposes of this Regulation, micro, small or medium-sized enterprise means an autonomous railway undertaking, infrastructure manager, vehicle keeper or manufacturer, established or having its seat in a member country of the European Economic Area and meeting the conditions laid down in Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC. The applicant shall provide proof that it qualifies as micro, small or medium-sized enterprise within 1 month from the date of the application, request or notification. The Agency shall assess the evidence provided and may refuse the request for the status as micro, small or medium-sized enterprise in case of doubt or lack of justification.

‘2 During the processing of an application, request or notification the Agency and the NSAs shall monitor their costs. At the request of the applicant, where the costs risk exceeding the estimate by more than 15 %, the Agency shall inform the applicant thereof.

3 Where the processing of an application, request or notification, or a service lasts longer than 1 year, the applicant may request a new estimate.’

‘1 The Agency shall issue an invoice for the fees and charges due, within 60 calendar days of the date: (a) of its decision, except in case of decisions covered by the fixed fee regime or subject to Article 6(3); (b) of the decision of Board of Appeal; (c) when the service rendered ended; (d) of withdrawal of an application, request or notification; (e) of any other event leading to cessation of processing of an application, request or notification. With regard to fixed fees that become due for payment at the time of the submission of the application, request or notification referred to in Article 3(1) and (3), before the Agency’s processing of the application, request or notification, the Agency may agree a shorter due date with individual applicants at their request, as well as enter into a special arrangement for invoicing, including issuing of a monthly invoice.’

‘2a The invoice shall be addressed to the person or the entity: (a) indicated as the applicant in the OSS; (b) requesting registration pursuant to Article 2(2), point (g); (c) submitting notification pursuant to Article 2(2), point (h); (d) requesting a service pursuant to Article 2(3).’

‘3 The NSAs shall provide the Agency with a statement of costs for their contribution to be included in the invoice issued by the Agency, within 30 calendar days of the dates referred to in paragraph 1. The statement of costs shall detail how such costs have been calculated.’

‘5 The Agency shall notify the applicants of the decision and submit the invoice through the one-stop shop referred to in Article 12 of Regulation (EU) 2016/796 or by any other appropriate means.

6 The Agency may invoice interim amounts every 6 months or issue multiple invoices where relevant.’

‘9 Where the applicant is a micro, small or medium-sized enterprise, the Agency shall take into account requests for a reasonable extension of the deadline for payment and payment by instalments.

10 NSAs shall receive a reimbursement for the cost incurred for processing the national part of the applications, including assessments related to border stations, as appropriate, within the deadlines referred to in paragraphs 8 and 9.’

‘3 In light of the relevant information provided by the Agency in its annual reports, this Regulation shall be reviewed to introduce fixed fees.’

This Regulation shall not apply to applications, requests and notifications submitted to the Agency before the date of application.

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It shall apply from 1 October 2024.