A series of Union legal acts has been adopted opening up the rail freight and international rail passenger markets to competition and establishing, in the case of Directive 2012/34/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council [5], certain fundamental principles, which include: that railway undertakings are to be managed in accordance with the principles that apply to commercial companies; that entities responsible for the allocation of capacity and charging for rail infrastructure are to be separate from entities which operate rail services, and that there is to be a separation of accounts; that any railway undertaking licensed in accordance with Union criteria is to have access to railway infrastructure on a fair and non-discriminatory basis; and that infrastructure managers may benefit from State financing.
Glacadh sraith gníomhartha dlí lena ligtear iomaíocht isteach i margadh an lasta iarnróid agus sa mhargadh paisinéirí iarnróid idirnáisiúnta agus lena mbunaítear, i gcás Threoir 2012/34/AE ó Pharlaimint na hEorpa agus ón gComhairle [5], prionsabail bhunúsacha áirithe lena n-áirítear: an prionsabal go bhfuil gnóthais iarnróid le bainistiú de réir prionsabail a bhfuil feidhm leo maidir le cuideachtaí tráchtála; an prionsabal go bhfuil eintitis atá freagrach as acmhainn a leithdháileadh agus muirear a ghearradh as bonneagar iarnróid a úsáid le bheith ann ar leithligh ó eintitis a oibríonn seirbhísí iarnróid, agus go bhfuil scaradh cuntas le bheith ann; an prionsabal go bhfuil rochtain le bheith ag aon ghnóthas iarnróid arna cheadúnú i gcomhréir le critéir Aontais ar bhonneagar iarnróid ar bhonn cothrom agus neamh-idirdhealaitheach; agus an prionsabal go bhféadfaidh bainisteoirí bonneagair tairbhiú de mhaoiniú Stáit.