EU warns Netherlands over rail rules, flags competition concerns

BRUSSELS, June 29 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Monday said it warned the Netherlands that its rules for allocating slots on its main rail network may breach EU antitrust laws and called on the country to improve competition for international rail passenger services.

The Commission said preliminary findings suggest the rules, which give priority to state-owned Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), could distort competition, particularly in international passenger services.

The EU sent a formal notice to the Dutch authorities, saying the measures may reinforce NS's dominant position. The Netherlands has two months to respond.

(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout, Editing by Inti Landauro)