The European Community is working towards the development and establishment of a better interoperable trans-European rail network. Therefore, the Council of the European Union adopted Directive 96/48/EC on Interoperability of the trans-European High-Speed Railway System on 23rd July 1996. In summer 2001 a contract for a study on the implementation of Directive 96/48/EC was awarded to theGraband & Partner GmbH in Braunschweig, Germany. The main tasks of the study were assessing national measures of transposition, analysing Notified Bodies and assessing the progress made towards interoperability of the trans-European high-speed railway network. The opinions expressed in the present article are those of the authors and don’t engage the official position of the European Commission.