The European Commission is referring the Netherlands to the European Court of Justice for failing to ensure proper competition on the main railway network.

“Competition in the rail market is essential to provide passengers with more attractive and innovative services at lower cost, while keeping public service tasks,” the commission said in a statement on Thursday.

Brussels objects to the Dutch government’s decision to award the rail passenger transport concession for 2025 to 2033 directly to state-owned operator NS, without a competitive tender. A majority of MPs supported the decision when it was taken two years ago.

EU law requires that companies other than NS should be given the chance to operate mainline routes, as well as night trains and cross-border services.

The commission said the Netherlands had breached EU rules by failing to assess whether certain services within the new concession could be delivered by commercial operators without public service obligations.

MPs from across the political spectrum oppose the European Commission’s push for increased competition on Dutch railways, fearing it could lead to a decline in service quality for travelers.

At the same time, several regional operators, including Arriva and Qbuzz, have protested in Brussels against what they see as preferential treatment for NS. Both companies already run regional services in the Netherlands.