On Thursday 29 November, EU Member States' ministers reached a political agreement (general approach) on the Regulation on improving the general safety of light vehicles, close to the European Commission's proposal, although more restrictive in some respects, while sensibly extending the period of implementation of the Regulation.
As a reminder, the Commission had proposed, as part of a third and final mobility package presented in May (see EUROPE 12022), a series of measures to improve road safety, including: - an accurate and smart tyre pressure monitoring system; - an intelligent speed adaptation system; - the facilitation of the installation of an alcohol ignition interlock device; - sleepiness monitoring; - an emergency braking system; - a lane departure system; - an event data recorder (in the event of an accident).
Overall, Member States remained faithful to the European Commission's proposal. However, there are some changes to note. Delegations stressed in particular the importance of technological neutrality, i.e. not favouring one technology over another.
They made some changes rendering the text less prescriptive, in particular on the intelligent speed assistance system, indicating that it should maintain a speed with an appropriate response, where the Commission provided for a pedal return mechanism, and modified the emergency lane departure system to "help the driver keep the vehicle in a safe position". On the latter point, the Commission provided for the possibility of automatic use of the steering wheel and brake.
Member States have also introduced derogations for vehicles produced in small quantities. They have also replaced the delegated acts, which provide for a right of veto by the European Parliament, by implementing acts, which exclude parliamentarians from the decision-making process. They limit the possibility for the Commission to adopt delegated acts to five years (against an unlimited period provided for in the Commission's proposal) and invite the Commission to present an evaluation five years after the entry into force.
It should be noted that Member States have postponed implementation of the Regulation until 36 months after the entry into force. This was a disappointment for Germany, which wanted implementation to be as fast as possible, i.e. at 12 months. Other Member States, particularly in the East, such as Hungary, Bulgaria and Croatia, on the contrary, welcomed the balance of the proposal, which takes into account the adaptation time of the automotive industry.
Several delegations expressed the wish to be able to start interinstitutional negotiations as soon as possible. In Parliament, negotiations are falling behind schedule. The vote on the report by Róża Gräfin von Thun Und Hohenstein (EPP, Poland) is scheduled for the end of February, just before the end of the mandate.
Impose European standards at global level. The objective of this regulation, explains a diplomatic source, is to place the European Union and its industry at the forefront of automotive safety standards in order to eventually impose them worldwide within the framework of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). “Binding standards can be seen as a constraint, but also as an opportunity for European industry", which would gain in added value compared to international competition, adds the same source. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)