Members of the European Parliament's Transport Committee voted (39 votes in favour, 6 votes against, 0 abstentions) to adopt their negotiating position on the revision of Directive 2008/96/EC on road infrastructure safety management on Thursday 10 January.
This vote echoed the draft report by Daniela Aiuto (ELDD, Italy) presented last autumn (see EUROPE 12111), which itself followed the European Commission's proposal as part of the third mobility package (see EUROPE 12022). At that time, the institution proposed that Member States should be required to evaluate road sections, mainly those from the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).
The report that was finally adopted is broadly in line with the spirit of Mrs Aiuto's draft text, which could be analysed in the light of the fall of the Genoa road bridge last August (see EUROPE 12077).
It should be noted, however, that while Ms. Aiuto wanted the urban primary roads to be covered by the evaluations, this option was not retained. The definition of a primary road is also revised here to refer to the highest category of road, after that related to motorways, in national classifications.
MEPs also want to involve the Commission more closely in the implementation of the text, in particular through the publication of guidelines.
Inter-institutional negotiations ('trilogues') will now begin with the Romanian Presidency of the Council, as the Member States agreed on this text on 3 December last (see EUROPE 12151, 12141). (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)