Brussels, 30/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday in Brussels, Loyola de Palacio, European Transport Commissioner, kicked off the European Road Safety Charter whose aim is to have signatories pledge to carry out concrete actions, to be made public, in favour of road safety. The ceremony took place in the presence of Transport Council President Seamus Brennan, 150 representatives of the road sector and with the support of MEP from Finland, Ari Vatanen (EPP/ED). "I would like to call on all stakeholders to join our efforts and contribute to saving 20,000 lives on European roads. Road safety is a shared responsibility", Ms de Palacio said, calling on participants to sign the Charter. Seamus Brennan called on signatories to sign the Charter in Dublin, on 6 April, during the World Road Safety Week.
The Commissioner had announced the Charter would be launched when she presented her action programme for road safety 2003-2019 last June. The programme provides for a catalogue of measures such as strengthened road controls, the deployment of new road safety technologies, improved road infrastructures, actions to improve user behaviour (see EUROPE of 6 June). Calling on players in the sector to sign the Charter, the aim of the Commissioner is to have civil society take part in the EU's objective set for 2010 - that of reducing by half the number of deaths on Community roads, which currently totals 40,000. She considers, moreover, that it is not just the transport sector that must take concrete measures but that schools, municipalities, insurers and also discothèques should do so also.
During the ceremony, Ms de Palacio presented a sort of "label" that the Charter's signatories may use to promote their actions, as well as an internet site, an information letter and rewards. Ari Vatanen, the winner of the Paris-Dakar automobile race in 1987, agreed to sponsor the Charter. Six representatives of the sector - the associations POLIS, CEA and AIT/FIA and the companies EXXON, Scania and Arriva - presented actions, to show their commitment in favour of the Charter.