The European Commission on January 30 published proposals for deregulating member states' national rail networks

as a means to "open up all domestic passenger networks to competition." At present, only Sweden and the United Kingdom have fully open markets, while Germany, Austria, Italy, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands are partially deregulated. The proposals would take effect from 2019 if approved by member states, but some are resistant to the idea, notably France. Speaking to BTN, a leading international rail distribution expert said the proposed deregulation also would make it much easier for rail operators to launch high-speed cross-border services beyond their home market.