No C 159/54 Official Journal of the European Communities 26. 6. 89 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Directive relating to the maximum permitted blood 
alcohol concentration for vehicle drivers (l) 
(89/C 159/22) 
On 22 december 1988, the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, 
under Article 75 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the 
abovementioned proposal. 
The Section for Transport and Communications, which was responsible for preparing the 
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its Opinion on 12 April 1989. The rapporteur 
was Mr Morselli. 
At its 265th plenary session (meeting of 27 April 1989) the Economic and Social Committee 
adopted the following Opinion by 95 votes to 12, with 6 abstentions. 
I. INTRODUCTION 
1. High blood alcohol concentration is one of the 
main causes of road accidents. 
1.1. The Council demonstrated its concern to 
improve road safety in its Resolution of 19 December 
1984, in which it broadly accepted the Commission's 
proposal for a programme of Community measures to 
promote road safety. Prominent among these are the 
measures on the maximum permissible alcohol concen­
tration and the effects of various drugs on drivers. 
1.2. In its Opinion of 14 May 1984 on the above 
Commission proposal (2), the Committee approved the 
draft Resolution and stressed the importance of road 
safety. 
1.3. The Committee Opinion on the European year 
of road safety (1986) (3), having regard to the prospect 
of closer European integration, called for standardiz­
ation of national road safety laws and for Community-
level action to reduce the number of road accidents. 
II. COMMENTS 
2.1. The Commission's draft Directive sets the 
maximum permissible alcohol level at 0,5 mg/ml of 
blood as from 1 January 1993. The current maximum 
limit is 0,8 mg/ml in ten of the twelve Member States. The proposed maximum limit of 0,5 mg/ml is therefore 
considerably lower than the level currently considered 
adequate by ten of the twelve Member States. The 
Committee therefore wonders what prompted the Com­
mission to propose the lower level of 0,5 mg/ml; this 
would seem unjustified in the absence of conclusive 
evidence that it will enhance road safety. 
2.2. Under the circumstances, the Committee feels 
that a maximum permissible limit of 0,8 mg/ml would 
be sufficient to curb one of the major causes of road 
accidents. 
2.3. The Committee would ask the Commission to 
compile detailed statistics on the link between high 
blood alcohol concentrations and the number of acci­
dents. The link between blood alcohol levels and the 
number of fatal accidents should also be carefully as­
sessed, as should the effects of medicines and drugs on 
road safety If necessary, the maximum permissible 
limit shou''1 be amended after an appropriate tran­
sitional peiiod has elapsed. Research findings should be 
widely publicized, as should the maximum permissible 
limit, so that drivers can sensibly decide when and how 
to consume alcohol so as not to exceed the legal limit. 
2.4. The Committee maintains that, whatever the 
level fixed, the maximum permissible limit should be 
accompanied by rules on suitable, uniform checks and, 
most importantly, by appropriate preventive measures 
to heighten people's awareness of the problem—this is 
the only really effective way of reducing the number of 
accidents caused by drink/driving. 
(') OJ No C 25, 31. 1. 1989, p. 9. 
(2) OJ No C 95, 6. 4. 1984. 
(3) OJ No C 101, 28. 4. 1986. 2.5. The Section agrees with the various preventive 
26. 6. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159/55 
measures described in the explanatory memorandum, 
which are designed to better inform the public by means 
Done at Brussels, 27 April 1989. 
1. The Committee approves the proposal, which 
aims to improve and accelerate the practical implemen­
tation of Directives 80/778/EEC, 76/160/EEC, 75/440/ 
EEC and 79/869/EEC. 
2. The Committee notes that the regulatory com­
mittees are not to issue opinions which would change 
the scope of the Directives or incur major economic 
consequences in the Member States. 
3. The Committee therefore asks the Commission to 
ensure that the measures envisaged in Article 5(3)(a) 
conform fully to the requirements of the abovemen-
(!) OJ No C 13, 17. 1. 1989, p. 7. of national and Community-wide media campaigns and 
educational programmes in schools. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alberto MASPRONE 
tioned Directives. Implementing difficulties in some 
Member States must not allow these measures to relax 
or weaken the Directives. 
4. The Committee is surprised to see that the pro­
posal would allow a representative of a Member State 
to propose a matter for referral to the technical 
implementation committees. The Commission alone 
should have the power to refer a matter to the com­
mittees. 
5. Article 5 should be amended to specify that the 
'measures envisaged' are technical measures, to the 
exclusion of all others. Opinion on the proposal for a Council Directive amending Directives 80/778/EEC on drinking 
water, 76/160/EEC on bathing water, 75/440/EEC on surface water and 79/869/EEC on 
methods of measurement and frequencies of analysis of surface water (*) 
(89/C 159/23) 
On 16 January 1989, the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, 
under Article 130s of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the 
abovementioned proposal. 
The Section for Protection of the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Affairs, which 
was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its Opinion on 
4 April 1989. The rapporteur was Mr Saiu. 
At its 265th plenary session (meeting of 27 April 1989) the Economic and Social Committee 
adopted the following Opinion unanimously.