Brussels, 18/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - The Transport and Tourism Committee at the European Parliament (EP) has approved an agreement reached in the institutional trialogue on smart tachographs.
There are now just a few formal stages remaining in the legislative procedure to conclude this chapter opened two years ago. By reducing the risk of tachograph fraud, this instrument will monitor heavy-duty vehicle drivers' rest and driving times and motorway drivers' working conditions, as well as help to improve road safety.
On Tuesday 18 June, MEPs approved (32 votes to 3, with 1 abstention) the agreement reached in the institutional trialogue in mid-May, negotiated by Silvia Adriana Ticau (S&D, Romania) for the EP. The European Parliament will still need to approve the agreement at the plenary session, most probably September.
In the meantime, member states' permanent representatives (Coreper) have already confirmed this agreement, which the Council will still need to formally approve (point A at a forthcoming Council).
This revision paves the way to introducing digital tachographs - so-called smart tachographs because of their satellite technology - which will be installed in all heavy goods vehicles by 2017 or 2018. In exchange, member states will have to provide their agents carrying out the checks with better training, as well as appropriate equipment for handling the new generation of tachograph. The most controversial point in the procedure was the exemption of the tachograph for vehicles under 7.5 tonnes and driven by nonprofessional drivers within a 100 kilometre radius of their main business activity. (MD/transl.fl)