WRITTEN QUESTION E-2277/02

by Kathleen Van Brempt (PSE) to the Commission

(24 July 2002)

Subject: Re-registration of stolen vehicles

Investigations carried out by Europol indicate that it is possible for cars stolen in Belgium to be legally re-registered without any difficulty in Russia, in other Eastern European countries and even in a number of EU Member States. Europol claims that, for every car stolen to order in Belgium, the relevant documentation already exists in the country of destination. In those countries, no checks at all are carried out, and the relevant legislation is too lax. No less than 76 % of the vehicles stolen are destined for Russia, but Europol reports that stolen vehicles are also legally registered in France and, to a lesser extent, in Portugal and Spain.

Is the Commission aware of this situation?

What measures is the Commission taking to combat the practice of vehicles stolen in Belgium being legally re-registered without any difficulty in other countries (including EU Member States)?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(24 September 2002)

The Commission is aware of the problem that cars stolen in Belgium or in other Member States can under certain conditions be legally registered in Russia, in other Eastern European countries or even in some Member States and can inform the Honourable Member of the following:

Work in the Union has been going on in both the first and third pillar to combat the problem of vehicle crime in general.

Council Directive 1999/37/EC of 29 April 1999 on registration documents for vehicles(1) is, inter alia, instrumental to facilitate those checks specifically intended to combat fraud and illegal trade in stolen vehicles. Member States must bring into force the laws, regulations or administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 1 June 2004.

Commission Directive 1995/56/EC, Euratom of 8 November 1995 on measures to prevent the unauthorized use of motor vehicles(2) aims at strengthening the means of dissuasion against unauthorized use of the vehicles. As such, equipping cars with immobilizers has contributed to a general drop of vehicle theft in Europe (change 1999-2000 in Belgium: 7 %)

With regard to the Schengen Information System (SIS), the Commission is aware of the fact that only police have access to data on stolen cars, whereas vehicle registration authorities in the Member States have not. However, the possibility of a legal instrument to grant vehicle registration authorities access to SIS is under investigation with the aim to make the re-registering of stolen vehicles more difficult in the Union.

Finally, the Commission is calling for closer co-operation between customs and car registration authorities at the national level to reduce vehicle theft in the Member States. Additionally, in the third pillar area, the Commission is constantly working on improving co-operation between Member States to combat vehicle crime. Under certain Union programmes such as OISIN, some Member States have developed new forms of co-operation in that area and some progress has been made. Moreover, Europol has produced an interactive electronic programme designed to help law enforcement officers to identify stolen vehicles.

As far as registration of stolen cars in Russia is concerned, the Union has no direct legal means to prevent registration of stolen vehicles in Russia. However, a series of expert meetings has been conducted under the Union-Russia Partnership and Co-operation Agreement to deal with the issue, focussing inter alia on how to involve the insurance industry in dealing with the problem more effectively.

(1) OJ L 138, 1.6.1999.

(2) OJ L 286, 29.11.1995.