Renata Suša Vice President of the Board of the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies

The CEO of HŽ Infrastruktura, Renata Suša, has been elected as the Vice President of the Board of the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER – Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies).

Suša was elected to this position at the CER General Assembly held on Wednesday in Brussels, HŽ Infrastruktura reported on Friday.

– This marks the first time Croatia has its representative on the CER Board, which is the highest body of the organization representing the majority of railway operations in the EU, and its main role is to represent the interests of its members on the European political stage, particularly regarding the improvement of the business and regulatory environment for European railway operators and railway infrastructure companies, stated HŽ Infrastruktura in a press release.

The position that Renata Suša will hold is a new vice-presidential role on the CER Board. The vice-presidents also include the heads of the German, Swiss, and French railways, while the chair of the board is the CEO of Austrian Railways, Christian Kern. The press release also includes a statement from Renata Suša, stating that her election to the CER Board is recognition for HŽ Infrastruktura and that she will represent the entire Croatian railway sector in Brussels.

– I will strive to ensure that our proposals are heard and considered at the international level and that Croatia is positioned as well as possible on the railway map of Europe. The creation of a sustainable single railway market is a common goal of European railways, and the development and investment in infrastructure are key to achieving the ambitious plans set for the railway sector at the European level, says Suša.

She emphasizes that it is primarily about increasing efficiency and raising the quality of railway services, which is extremely important for meeting global and European climate goals, to which railways, as one of the most environmentally friendly modes of transport, contribute significantly. It is also important to further strengthen and develop multimodal transport, in which railways also play an important role, and Croatia needs to better leverage its geographical advantages in this segment, Suša emphasizes.

CER is an independent body within the International Union of Railways (UIC), headquartered in Brussels. In addition to railway companies from EU member states, CER members also include Norwegian and Swiss railways, as well as the railways of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, and Turkey. The companies that are members of CER, totaling 74, cover 73 percent of the European railway network, 80 percent of the scope of European freight transport, and 96 percent of the scope of passenger transport in the EU, HŽ Infrastruktura notes.