During a transport committee meeting at the European Parliament on Thursday 11 January, MEPs held an exchange of views on the means of putting an end to odometer tampering in vehicles.
This debate is part of a study MEPs had commissioned the lessons and results of which were presented by Enrico Pastori, an expert at TRT Trasporti e Territorio SRL and Professor Przemysław Borkowski (University of Gdańsk, Poland). This also took place in a context where the German MEP Ismail Ertug (S&D) is due to present an own legislative initiative report in this regard over the next few weeks.
In the draft text published on 19 December last, Mr Ertug explained that total economic damages resulting from the tampering of odometers, helps to significantly alter the value of second hand vehicles by between €5.6 billion and €9.6 billion every year in the European Union. In addition to the exclusive economic aspects, this practice also has a real impact in terms of the environment and road safety.
In an effort to tackle odometer tampering, technological solutions do exist, as indicated in the draft report and experts are requested to discuss this matter with MEPs. The latter also highlighted the benefits of the ‘Car-Pass’ System in Belgium and the ‘Nationale AutoPas’ applied in the Netherlands, which calls for compulsory vehicle inspections during maintenance or service operations and which have helped to significantly reduce fraudulent practices.
Pastori and Borkowski are therefore examining two kinds of action: introduction of a legislative framework that would require, however, clear political determination, as pointed out by Michael Cramer (Greens/ EFA, Germany) and Pavel Telička (ALDE, Czech Republic) and/or the development of technological solutions that could be based on “blockchains”.
The rapporteur and shadow rapporteurs will now be able to take into account the conclusions from the study in view of presenting a text that calls on the Commission to propose concrete measures to put an end to odometer tampering. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)