The Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU has proposed to the delegations of the Member States several amendments to the revision of the Directive on the cross-border exchange of information on road-safety traffic offences.
The European Commission presented this revision in March, with new rules governing driving licences (see EUROPE 13132/1). It aims to improve effective cross-border enforcement of traffic rules related to road safety and to end impunity for serious offences.
According to a document dated Friday 14 April and obtained by EUROPE, the Presidency suggested extending the scope of the directive to non-compliance with rules on vehicle access restrictions, “as these zones are introduced either for ensuring road safety, managing traffic or preventing pollution”. In fact the paper states that “Member States have great difficulty in enforcing the rules on non-residents “. It also states that, in accordance with the EU Treaty (TFEU), “environmental protection requirements must be integrated into the implementation of the Union's policies”.
Furthermore, the Presidency provides a definition of non-compliance with the rules on vehicle access restriction zones: “not respecting the rules on accessing or making use of a zone that is part of the territory of a Member State, as delimited by that Member State”.
Concerning the exchange of information and the designation of a national contact point, the Presidency proposes to add the notion of “mutual assistance” between Member States. However, it proposes to rename the cross-border exchange portal (‘CBE portal’) to ‘portal on road-safety-related traffic offences‘.
It thus suggests that the exchange of information and other interactions between the National Contact Points and other competent authorities in the Member States or with other road users should be eliminated. This may include the exchange of vehicle registration data and data on persons allegedly responsible or liable for road safety offences.
It also wants to slightly modify the procedures for the exchange of vehicle registration information between Member States, including limiting the information to be exchanged concerning national vehicle registers. It wants to ensure that this Directive does not undermine EU law on personal data protection and cyber security.
To consult the document: https://aeur.eu/f/6cf (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)