Monitoring & Research

ERA monitors the performance and decision-making of national safety authorities through audit and inspections, on behalf of the EC, as mandated by Regulation (EU) 2016/796. The Agency is entitled to audit the capacity of national safety authorities to execute tasks relating to railway safety and interoperability as well as the effectiveness of the monitoring by national safety authorities of safety management systems of actors as referred to Directive (EU) 2016/798.

To this purpose, Agency’s Management Board has adopted in 2021 the updated policy, working methods, procedures and practical arrangements for NSA monitoring, repealing decisions n°161, 188, 21.

ERA supports the EC in monitoring the notified conformity assessment bodies through the provision of assistance to accreditation bodies and to the relevant national authorities, and through audits and inspections. In the case of notified conformity assessment bodies which are not accredited, the Agency may audit their capacity to meet the requirements laid down in Directive (EU) 2016/797.

The procedure for performing audits to the notified conformity assessment bodies has been adopted by the Agency’s Management Board in 2017.

The evidence collected alongside these monitoring activities is very useful in order to trigger actions for improving the effectiveness of the respective bodies in performing their tasks in the field of safety and/or interoperability.

Research and innovation at EU level is key to help to develop and realise EU policy. Rail plays a major role in achieving EU policy targets in the transport field, e.g. decarbonisation.

The Agency, as an independent European system authority, contributes to rail research and innovation ensuring where possible coherence of research projects with the EU framework.

The Agency is involved in research and innovation for the following reasons:

• To influence research and innovation so that they support the policies and framework of a Single European Railway Area.
• To provide the Commission and the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking with independent specialist railway knowledge. There are legislative requirements for ERA involvement in the Single Basic Act.
• To advise as regards the System Pillar and contribute to defining target system in regulatory requirements;
• To steer research and innovation according to ERA strategic statements.

The main Agency’s research and innovation objectives are:

• To ensure that research results support and are consistent with the development of a Single European Railway Area (SERA).
• To facilitate the development of cost effective approaches to meeting the railway essential requirements.
• To close “open points” in the European Legal Framework.
• To enable ERA recommendations to take full account of recent technological, social and societal developments.
• To be informed of and influence developments in international rail research and innovation activities, cooperating with research bodies, where appropriate.