The Agency has been established to provide the EU Member States and the Commission with technical assistance in the fields of railway safety and interoperability. This involves the development and implementation of Technical Specifications for Interoperability and a common approach to questions concerning railway safety. The Agency's main task is to manage the preparation of these measures.

At the beginning of 2006 the Commission adopted its decision of 09/II/2006 concerning mandates to the European Railway Agency for developing technical specification for interoperability under Directive 2001/16/EC and common  safety targets, common  safety methods and common safety requirements for safety certification under Directive 2004/49/EC.