MEPs, meeting in Parliament's plenary session, on Wednesday 17 April, did not adopt the objection raised by Dominique Riquet (ALDE, France) to the delegated regulation on the deployment and operational use of cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS), thus approving this act.
This vote echoed the adoption by the European Commission of the delegated regulation on this subject just over a month ago (see EUROPE 12213/37). Both the Parliament and the Council of the EU may oppose the entry of a delegated regulation for a period of two months.
This delegated act was included on the agenda of this Parliament plenary session because of the adoption of the objection to this regulation by the institution's Transport Committee on 8 April last (see EUROPE 12231/15). For the objection to be adopted by the Parliament in plenary session, the absolute majority of MEPs had to support it, namely 376 of them. However, only 270 parliamentarians voted in favour of this objection, while 304 opposed it and 30 abstained.
Therefore, this means that the Parliament gives the green light for the entry into force of the delegated regulation on the deployment and operational use of C-ITS, which is of crucial importance for the automotive sector.
The aim is to improve road safety by enabling vehicles to communicate with each other and with the infrastructure, among other things. In this case, the central question concerns the choice of technologies for this deployment of C-ITS.
The Commission, in the act it adopted, wishes to rely on WiFi technology for short-range communications. Other actors want cellular technologies to be able to be used in this context.
On both sides - supporters of WiFi technology (some car manufacturers) or cellular technologies (other car manufacturers and telecommunications operators) - the lobbying campaign conducted with European parliamentarians was quite intense and political groups were mainly divided on this issue, particularly in defence of national interests. Hence the uncertainty that lay ahead of this vote (see EUROPE 12237/8).
A vote welcomed by Mrs Bulc. The Commissioner for Transport Policy, Violeta Bulc, reacted quickly to this vote. "Today is a good day for the safety of European citizens on our roads", she said with satisfaction. "The mass deployment of intelligent transport systems will be cheap, simple and effective", the Commissioner added.
It has also left the door open for the future use of cellular technologies for short-range communications. "We are also open to any new technology, once it is tested and working", she said. A review of the delegated regulation is planned at the latest three years after the entry into force of the text, with possible amendments to it, if necessary.
Council of the EU. If the Parliament has validated this delegated regulation, the Council of the EU must also decide so that it can produce its effects. A meeting of the working party on transport - intermodal questions and networks has already given national experts the opportunity to present their opinions on 5 April. Several issues, including legal ones, were then raised by various delegations.
A next discussion is scheduled for May 3. If the Council of the EU decides to give the text the green light, it will be presented at the meeting of Foreign Ministers on 13 May. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)