Cableway Installations Regulation

Definition

• Cableways mainly consist of funicular railways, cable cars, gondolas, chairlifts, and drag lifts. They are designed, manufactured, put into service, and operated with the objective of carrying people safely.

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Importance of the Cableways sector in the EU

• The international cableways industry is dominated by EU companies, which account for 90% of the industry worldwide. EU companies have a strong presence in the United States of America and in Asia. Obstacles to new operators entering the market include:

  • the specialised nature of the cableways building business

  • the importance of investments in research

  • strict safety requirements

  • the particular difficulty of operating cableways in the mountains

• The weight of groups in the exploitation and management of cableway installations and ski domains is growing. As the western European market is mature (work involves mainly replacing and upgrading existing cableways) manufacturers and operators are focusing on emerging markets in newer EU countries and Asia.

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Cableway Installation Regulation

• The purpose of the EU legislation of cableways is to allow for the free movement of safety components and subsystems of cableway installations in the EU internal market while maintaining a uniform and high level of safety.

• Safety is of prime importance and has to be guaranteed in all operating conditions. Although cableway installations may be used for urban transport, they are mainly operated in connection with tourism, particularly in mountain areas, which is an important factor for the balance of trade between EU countries.

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Reference:

[1] ec.europa