WRITTEN QUESTION E-1522/02

by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(3 June 2002)

Subject: Road accidents in Greece

It is well-known that Greece is the EU country with the highest number of fatal road accidents. Every year, approximately 3 000 Greeks lose their lives and several thousands are severely injured on the Greek roads. It is worth noting that over the period of Orthodox Easter alone (beginning of May 2002) 63 Greeks were killed and over 600 were injured in road accidents. The majority of these were due to excessive speed, the terrible condition of the road surface, extremely deficient signposting and the fact that many drivers drive under the influence of alcohol.

Could the Commission say in which countries of the Union driving licences are confiscated, and for what reasons, and in which EU states there is provision for the immediate seizure of the vehicle of a driver who is arrested for drunk driving?

Has the Commission requested any information or explanation from the Greek authorities for the huge number of deaths and injuries in road accidents in Greece?

Is there any existing Community legislation, or plans to adopt any, making provision for specific, harmonised and severe penalties, to be implemented in all the Member States of the Union, to be applied to drunk drivers or those driving under the influence of drugs, who put their fellow citizens' lives at risk?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(23 July 2002)

With 1 895 fatalities in 2001, Greece has one of the highest death rates per inhabitant in the Union from road accidents. The gap between the Greek and the European average is, however; beginning to close, as the numbers killed in 2001 were 9 % lower than those in 2000. The main causes of accidents are excessive or inappropriate speed, drink driving and failure to wear seatbelts.

On 17 January 2001, the Commission adopted a recommendation(1) on the maximum permitted blood alcohol content for drivers, inviting the Member States to apply a general limit for blood alcohol level lower than or equal to 0,5 milligrammes per millilitre (mg/ml) and to step up the checks made by the police forces.

This recommendation does not deal with penalties in the case of infringements. Measures to withdraw driving licences remain the competence of the countries concerned pursuant to Article 8(2) of Council Directive 91/439/EEC of 29 July 1991 on driving licences(2). This is also true in the case of other penalties, fines, warnings and prison sentences.

There is no legislation providing for the confiscation of a vehicle in cases where the driver's blood alcohol level is excessive. During their checks, however, police forces may retain the licence of a driver under the influence of alcohol or presumed to be under such influence as a precautionary measure.

In accordance with the intentions stated in the White Paper on European transport policy(3), the Commission is examining possible ways of achieving greater harmonisation of the most important rules governing driving, and the control measures intended to apply these rules, while respecting as fully as possible the principle of subsidiarity.

Finally, the Commission regularly conducts exchanges of information with those responsible for road safety in the various Member States, including Greece, with a view to preparing proposals to harmonise driving rules and the improvement of safety.

(1) Recommendation of 17 January 2001, OJ C 48, 14.2.2001.

(2) OJ L 237, 24.8.1991.

(3) White Paper European transport policy for 2010: time to decide, COM(2001) 370 final.