Translation of "Contrat de services multi-transporteurs " (French → English) :

In the event that an existing international coach and bus service is seriously affecting the viability of a comparable service covered by one or more public service contracts conforming to Community law on the direct sections concerned, due to exceptional reasons which could not have been foreseen at the time of granting the authorisation, a Member State may, with the agreement of the Commission, suspend or withdraw the authorisation to run the international coach and bus service after having given 6 months’ notice to the carrier.

The Commission noted also that the Czech authorities did not envisage any procedure for choosing the carriers for years 2004-2005 but simply prolonged contracts with these carriers which had been chosen for providing services in 2003.

See Regulation (EEC) No 2408/92 of the Council on access of Community air carriers to intra-Community air routes, Council Regulation (EEC) No 3577/92 applying the principle of freedom to provide services to maritime transport within Member States, Council Regulation (EEC) No 1191/69 on action by Member States concerning the obligations inherent in the concept of a public service in transport by rail, road and inland waterway, as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1893/91, and the amended proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on action by Member States concerning public service requirements and the award of publi ...[+++]c service contracts in passenger transport by rail, road and inland waterway (COM(2002) 107 final).

‘contract of carriage’ means a contract for or including air transport services, including one where the carriage is composed of two or more flights operated by the same or different air carriers.

The need to ensure regular, continuous and frequent transport services to link continental Europe with the outermost regions and within those regions may justify the conclusion of public service contracts which impose on the operator obligations which he would not accept if he were motivated solely by economic considerations.

7. Selection criterion: For each route covered by the invitation to tender, the criterion for choosing between the air carriers judged to be in a position to provide services on that route smoothly and in accordance with the stated requirements shall be the lowest figure for the total financial compensation sought in respect of that route.