On Wednesday 25 April, MEPs at the European Parliament’s transport committee broadly supported (46 votes for, 1 against, 1 abstention) the draft report drawn up by Ismail Ertug (S&D, Germany) for tackling milometer tampering on vehicles (odometers).
This support is not surprising given the fact that the draft report was previously welcomed by a majority of MEPs at the same committee (see EUROPE 11974). Mr Ertug welcomed “The strong signal against odometer fraud” adding, “Now the European Commission will have to deliver proper legislation”.
The main reason underpinning this draft report is the economic cost, which Mr Ertug estimates as between €5.6 billion and €9.6 billion a year but there are also the environmental and road safety costs incurred by odometer fraud. Although solutions have been developed at a national level by the Netherlands and Belgium, for example, the rapporteur regrets the lack of a European solution.
These compromise votes are the result of the cooperation backed by the main political groups and therefore reveal several different aspects. The most important point includes the appeal to the Commission to present a legal framework to ensure that odometer fraud becomes impossible. The final text also demands a compulsory requirement for member states to set up national registers and data exchange and for a Commission proposal in this regard.
The draft report also highlighted the need to inform consumers and sector stakeholders about the existing measures for tackling odometer fraud. It also calls on the Commission to undertake an analysis on the use of blockchain technology in the 12 months after the adoption of this text. MEPs see this as a possible basis for effectively tackling odometer fraud at European level. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)