Brussels, 11/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday the European Commission adopted a, dubious decision by approving the "content" of the voluntary agreement concluded by the European car industry to improve the protection of pedestrians in case of accidents with cars (see EUROPE of 9&10 July, p.9), while postponing the voluntary agreement itself to the end of 2001.
"Our strategy has been to work with the industry in a constructive and pragmatic spirit in order to explore whether we could achieve safety levels that would be satisfactory to us (…) the final decision by the Commission as to the form these will take effect will be decided by the end of the year after having heard the views of the Member States and the European Parliament in the spirit of full transparency", stated the Commissioner for Industry, Erkki Liikanen. In practice, the Commission must still decide whether these undertakings should or should not be translated by a binding legislative framework. By adopting the European priorities for road safety the Parliament and the Council had called in favour of the latter approach.
The agreement concluded by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (EAMA) also involves the American industry, while it will only enter into force after the concluding of a similar agreement with the representatives from the Japanese and Korean automobile industry. Over the model of what is done in the field of polluting emissions. It foresees that: 1) the automobile industry use as of 2005 the tests defined by the Joint Research Centre to assess the effect of frontal impacts, then as of 2010 and at the latest in 2014 the tests defined by the European Experimental Vehicles Committee (EEVC). This part of the undertakings will be submitted to a feasibility study in July 2004; 2) all the vehicles will be equipped daytime running lights as of 2002 and ABS breaking systems as of 2003; 3) the industry will not longer install ridged bull bars on 4x4 vehicles as of 2002; 4) the industry will progressively install "active security" equipment, allowing to avoid accidents, such as electronic detectors; 5) a monitoring committee will be established.
The undertakings by the EAMA will cover 80% of the Community market for new vehicles as of 2010 and 90% of the market as of 2011 and all of the market as of 2012 adds the Commission.