Commission’s Interrail proposal: a missed opportunity

“The European Commission could have used the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome to present an original and ambitious proposal that will make people enthusiastic about Europe again. It could have been the signal of a new start.  I regret that the plan that is now on the table represents a missed opportunity”, said Manfred Weber MEP, Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, on the proposal presented today by the European Commission on the Interrail scheme.

“Yet, our proposal of a free Interrail ticket for every young European turning 18 is far from being dead. The European Parliament made this very clear by supporting it with a large majority in March 2017. We will continue our battle to ensure that the 2018 EU Budget contains this proposal. There is still a long way to go as we need to convince both the European Commission and the governments of the Member States, but we are ready to take up the fight. The costs for such a proposal are much lower than the numbers announced, and Europe needs inspiring projects aimed at making Europeans discover each other and the beauty of their continent.”