While a second draft compromise on the revision of Directive 2008/96/EC on road infrastructure safety management, of which EUROPE had a copy, was submitted by the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU to national delegations on 5 October, it would appear that a compromise to find a general approach could be reached in the coming weeks.
This was the outcome of the meeting of national experts of the Council's Land Transport Working Party on 11 October. This second draft compromise is part of a Commission proposal of 17 May as part of the third mobility package (see EUROPE 12022) and suggests in particular that Member States should be required to carry out assessments of road sections, especially those of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), motorways and main roads. This is to reduce accident rates in the EU.
This second Austrian text is in line with the spirit of the compromise put on the table in mid-September and detailed in our columns (see EUROPE 12098).
Among the few changes envisaged by the Austrian Presidency of the Council compared to the last text, it should be noted that more freedom could be given to Member States in the evaluation of their road network. Among other things, they would be free to use their own classification of road sections in the implementation of the Directive. It would be a question of giving more responsibilities to the States.
Despite some points of divergence expressed by some national delegations, the reception seems to have been positive and a general orientation could therefore be found soon.
As a reminder, on Monday 15 October, MEPs from the European Parliament's Transport Committee debated the draft report drafted by Daniela Aiuto (ELDD, Italy) (see EUROPE 12117, 12111). (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)