Regulation (EU) 2016/796 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

Article 76 Cooperation with national authorities and bodies

1. The Agency and the national safety authorities shall conclude cooperation agreements in relation to the implementation of Articles 14, 20 and 21, taking into account point (t) of Article 51(1).

2. The cooperation agreements may be specific or framework agreements, and may involve one or more national safety authorities. They shall contain a specified description of tasks and conditions for deliverables, lay down the time limits applying to their delivery, and determine the manner in which the fees payable by applicants are to be apportioned as between the Agency and the national safety authorities. Such apportionment shall take into account the framework model referred to in point (u) of Article 51(1).

3. The cooperation agreements may also include specific cooperation arrangements in the case of networks requiring specific expertise for geographical or historical reasons, with a view to reducing administrative burdens and costs to the applicant. Where such networks are isolated from the rest of the Union rail system, such specific cooperation arrangements may include the possibility of contracting tasks to the relevant national safety authorities when this is necessary in order to ensure efficient and proportionate allocation of resources.

4. In the case of those Member States whose rail networks have a track gauge that is different from that of the main rail network within the Union and share identical technical and operational requirements with neighbouring third countries, a multilateral cooperation agreement shall involve all the national safety authorities concerned in those Member States as provided for in Article 21(15) of Directive (EU) 2016/797 and Article 11(3) of Directive (EU) 2016/798.

5. The cooperation agreements shall be in place before the Agency carries out its tasks in accordance with Article 83(4).

6. The Agency may conclude cooperation agreements with other national authorities and competent bodies in relation to the implementation of Articles 14, 20 and 21.

7. The cooperation agreements shall be without prejudice to the overall responsibility of the Agency for the performance of its tasks as provided for in Articles 14, 20 and 21.

8. The Agency and the national safety authorities may work together and share best practices in relation to the implementation of Directive (EU) 2016/797 and of Directive (EU) 2016/798.