Brussels, 25/02/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament Committee on Transport will recommend that the plenary session in March in Strasbourg adopt at second reading the Council's common position on a directive introducing roadside inspections of trucks. Adopting the report by Willy Piecyk (PES, Germany), the committee amended the Council proposal, which calls for Member States to adopt sanctions and ensure that they are applied.
Amending Directive 96/96 on roadworthiness tests for heavy goods vehicles circulating in the EU, the new directive makes provision for spot checks on trucks weighing over 3.5 tonnes and coaches on main European motorways. It lays down the nature of inspections on brakes and steering systems, polluting emissions and the operation of recording tachometers.
At second reading, the Council rejected the amendment Parliament had already adopted on the harmonisation of sanctions and it accepted only 9 of Parliament's 17 amendments.