EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 65/197

(2004/C 65 E/214)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2713/03

by Kathleen Van Brempt (PSE) to the Commission

(11 September 2003)

Subject: Tispol road safety checks

Tispol, the European Network of Traffic Police, regularly organises national road safety checks at the same time in different EU Member States. In answer to Written Question E-2276/02 (1), the Commission announced that measures would take place from mid-2002 to mid-2003.

Can the Commission provide more information on the results of these measures? How many people were stopped and fined? What did these checks cost and what was the EU's financial contribution?

Can the Commission give details of the results of the Tispol measures in Belgium?

What is the Commission's assessment of the recent Tispol enforcement measures and what are its plans for the future? Will there be more Europe-wide coordinated road safety checks in the next few years? If so, can the Commission provide more information about this?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(21 October 2003)

The Commission has received information concerning the results of concerted European-wide traffic controls by Tispol over the period mid 2002 to mid 2003.

These enforcement actions focused on three domains in particular: alcohol and drugs, control of trucks, and control of buses and coaches.

The main results of these actions are:

— For alcohol and drugs controls: three such controls have been arranged, on 2 and 3 November 2002, 14 and 15 February 2003 and 20 and 21 July 2003 respectively. A total of 259 974 drivers were checked and 9 924 were found to have committed an offence and were arrested. The scope of the controls was increased to include drugs and driving impairment, which has been identified as an increasing problem area. Under this scope, 188 persons were found to have committed drug related offences. All member countries of Tispol participated in these actions (2). During these campaigns, attention has also been given by enforcement officers to the wearing of seat belts and the speed at which the vehicles have been driven.

— Controls of trucks: Tispol has conducted three enforcement campaigns (Operation Mermaid), on 13 September 2002, 21 March 2003 and 10 June 2003 and as a result 120 926 commercial vehicles (trucks) have been checked. These campaigns, which were carried out in co-operation with Euro Control Route, the European organisation of transport enforcement officers, resulted in a wide variety of offences being detected; 46 927 truck drivers had committed one or more offences, among others in the field of drivers hours, tachograph, alcohol, speed, drivers disqualification or dangerous condition, overweight or insecure load of the vehicle; 3 232 persons were arrested.

— Controls of buses and coaches: Tispol has organised three campaigns (Operation Bus), namely on 27 August 2002, 10 to 16 February 2003, and 19 July 2003. They were in particular aimed at checking long distance coach drivers who transverse several countries, since the published timetables of some operators clearly indicated that some abuse of the legislation was necessary to achieve the targets set. Enforcement officers checked 28 470 passenger service vehicles and detected 3 835 offences ranging from breaches of drivers hours legislation to dangerous vehicles. A total of 138 people were arrested.

Concerning the results on Belgian territory, the following data have been made available to the Commission: for the alcohol campaigns, 4 518 drivers were checked, and the controls resulted in 225 persons being arrested. In the truck-control campaigns, 3 530 vehicles were checked and 1 195 offences found. Operation Bus checked 711 vehicles and found 315 offences.

As for the costs of these controls, the Commission would like to refer to the reply given to the Honourable Member's Written Question E-2276/02 (3) on the same subject. As these controls are performed in the course of normal police enforcement activities, any information on their cost would have to be requested from the police authorities of the participating Member States.

On the basis of the results described above, it is the opinion of the Commission that these Tispol enforcement actions contribute to improved road safety. On one hand they prove that co-ordinated actions between enforcement bodies of two or more Member States are very efficient to expose problems in the areas which the campaigns are aimed at, on the other hand, they have a preventive effect by deterring potential offenders. The nature of random and unexpected controls, combined with a targeted approach and the publicity raised by these concerted campaigns, offer a clear added value and contribute to the sharing of good practices between the Member States.

Given the positive results of Tispol control actions, the Commission is considering relevant legislative proposals which it hopes that will be discussed during the Italian Presidency.

(1) OJ C 52 E, 6.3.2003, p. 148.

(2) These countries are now: Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain (incl. Canary Islands), France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Finland, United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovenia and Poland.

(3) OJ C 52 E, 6.3.2003.