Brussels, 10/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - While considering the European Commission's aim to improve safety in road tunnels on the Community territory as fundamental, the European Parliament considers that many provisions of the proposal in this connection must be completed or corrected. This is the result of a vote at first reading concerning the report by Austrian Christian Democrat Reinhard Rack on the proposal of directive aimed at improving safety in the road tunnels of the transeuropean network, on Thursday during its plenary session in Brussels (codecision). The proposal, presented end December, aims to fix minimum safety requirements for all road tunnels (already existing or planned for the future) on the transeuropean network (TEN) longer or equal to 500 metres in length.
The Parliament adopted a whole series of technical adjustments amending Appendix I of the proposal. It strengthens the minimum safety requirements for tunnels mainly with regards the safety parameters, escape roads and emergency exits, emergency exits for service providers, drainage, resistance of structures to fire, lighting, ventilation, emergency garages, water supplies, road signalling, communication systems, the provision of electricity and electrical circuits, and fire-resistance of equipment. The Parliament, however, authorises the Member States to implement less costly measures alternative to those prescribed in the proposal but on condition that they provide at least similar if not greater protection.
In a concern for effectiveness and consistency, the Parliament also adopted several amendments simplifying the administrative structure responsible for tunnel safety. Instead of the four level structure proposed by the Commission (administrative authority, control body, tunnel management, safety responsibility), the Parliament proposes a two level structure: the administrative authority and the authority responsible for the tunnel. The other entities, such as the safety coordinator, are now clearly subordinate to the preceding ones and become their auxiliaries. The Parliament's amendments also aim to clearly share out the responsibilities and the tasks of each entity as well as cooperation between them.
Furthermore, the Parliament calls for: - disabled persons to have special attention paid to them, for example, persons in wheelchairs should be able to open the first door leading to an emergency exit; - in the case of tunnels located on the territory of two Member States, a joint control body must be designated to carry out safety inspections. The Parliament considers that the receipts from tolls should be used to finance the necessary changes in order to conform to the directive and that the Member States should also implement comparable safety standards for road tunnels on their territory but which are not part of the TEN.