EU not to blame for Belgian train accident

Monday's train accident near Brussels could possibly have been prevented by an automatic braking system. The Belgian train company SNCB is arguing that the sluggishness of the EU Commission is responsible for delays in installing modern security technology. Nonsense, writes the daily De Morgen: "The very same Europe has not been able to prevent security systems from being installed in the Netherlands, France and Germany which can prevent similar accidents in those countries. For that reason this excuse on the part of the SNCB rings hollow indeed. It also fails to explain why despite a court order [for the installation of a security system] nothing happened for four years and work on the security system proceeded at a snail's pace. In this country fact-finding committees have been set up for far less than 18 deaths."

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