WRITTEN QUESTION E-1452/99 by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission. Harmonisation in the field of transport safety.
Date: 1999-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: approximation of laws, harmonisation of standards, road safety, safety device, signalling device, standard, traffic regulations

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In addition, farmers, and family farms in particular, can take advantage of Community measures to
improve their structural efficiency. This aid, which includes aid for investments, is at present granted under
the agriculture part of the Objective 1 programme for Galicia. In 1998 the Guidance Section of the
European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) spent ESP 4 153 million on such measures,
which represents 19 % of the Fund(cid:146)s expenditure for Objective 1 regions in Spain.

In the future the new rural development policy, the second pillar of the common agricultural policy, will
ensure that family farms continue to be supported. Furthermore, the new framework gives the regional
authorities even more scope to adapt measures to the specific needs and conditions in their regions. So
individual problems, like that raised by the Honourable Member, can be dealt with appropriately.

(2000/C 170 E/018)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1452/99

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(1 September 1999)

Subject: Harmonisation in the field of transport safety

The European Commission devotes considerable attention to transport, not least because transport involves
not only covering the distance from A to B as fast and in as environmentally-friendly manner as possible,
but also increasing the safety of European roads and railways.

Concerning road safety:

(cid:129) does the Commission have any thoughts, or are there any legislative provisions, on the following

questions?

(cid:129) if so, please provide precise details of the stage reached in the discussions or of the legislative

standard, and any transitional periods.

1.

How many legislative standards has the EU adopted on the safety of drivers of vehicles?

As a result of national legislative provisions being adopted after a time-lag is it possible for European

2.
citizens to be able to drive a vehicle without a driving licence?

3.

4.

Are there standard rules in Europe on the size and appearance of vehicle registration plates?

Are there standard rules in Europe on turning right when traffic lights are on red?

Is it possible that different traffic lights mean different things in different Member States (e.g. a

5.
flashing amber light)?

6.

Are there European rules on road signs and on the appearance (colours) of traffic signs?

Are there uniform exhaust gas standards in the Union for lorries and cars? If not, how great is the

7.
margin between the most stringent and the most generous limit value?

Is there a general obligation to wear a seat belt and is there a standard speed limit on European

8.
roads?

Answer given by Mme de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(15 October 1999)

1.
The Community has been very active in the field of legislative standards for vehicle construction,
known as type approval. To date, over 50 directives have been adopted, many of which have been

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subsequently amended by additional legislation to reflect technical developments in vehicle design. Most of
these can be considered to have a direct or indirect effect on the safety of drivers. A list of the directives is
forwarded to the Honourable Member as well as the Secretariat of the Parliament.

In addition to type approval legislation, other European legislation that affects the safety of drivers of
vehicles includes Council Regulation (EEC) 3820/85 of 20 December 1985 on the harmonization of
certain social legislation relating to road transport (1) and Regulation (EEC) 3821/85 of 20 December 1985
on recording equipment in road transport (1) dealing with drivers(cid:146) rest hours, Directive 91/0439/EEC of
29 July 1991 on driving licences (2), Directive 96/0096/EC of 20 December 1996 on the approximation of
the laws of the Member States relating to roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers (3),
Directive 92/0006/EC of 10 February 1992 on the installation and use of speed limitation devices for
certain categories of motor vehicles in the Community (4), Directive 91/0671/EEC of 16 December 1991
on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to compulsory use of safety belts in
vehicles of less than 3,5 tonnes (5) and a large package of legislation in the field of transport of dangerous
goods (Directive 94/0055/EC of 21 November 1994 (6)).

2.
Directive 91/0439/EEC on driving licences does not apply to motor vehicles with a maximum design
speed of 50 kilometres an hour (km/h) or less, or with an engine of 50 cubic centimetre (cm3) or less.
Agricultural or forestry vehicles are also exempt from the scope of the directive. This means that individual
Member States may choose to allow people to drive such vehicles on public roads on their territory
without any form of driving licence. In addition, there will exist citizens in Member States who have
driving licences but who have never taken a driving test, since they acquired them prior to the
introduction of driving tests in their Member States.

3.
There are no standard rules for registration plates but there is a standard concerning where these
plates must be fitted on the vehicle. Moreover, there is Council Regulation (EC) 2411/98 of 3 November
1998 on the recognition in intra-Community traffic of the distinguishing sign of the Member State in
which motor vehicles and their trailers are registered (7).

There is no Community legislation on the rules applying to traffic lights. The 1968 Economic
4. and 5.
commission for Europe of the United Nations (UN-ECE) convention on road signs does lay down rules on
traffic lights (in Articles 23 and 24). It states that a red light signifies that a vehicle may not pass, whilst an
amber flashing light means that a vehicle may pass whilst exercising caution. However, it should be noted
that not all Member States are signatories to the convention, or apply it fully. The Commission has no
mandate to ensure the full application of this convention by all Member States. Thus individual Member
States may choose to allow traffic to turn right on red lights or have flashing amber lights if they do not
apply the convention.

6.
There is no Community legislation on the rules applying to traffic signs. Each Member State decides
the colour of traffic signs. The UN-ECE convention on road signs does set harmonised designs for those
traffic signs giving warning information to motorists. However,
it does not harmonise the colour of
direction signs. Again, it should be noted that not all Member States are signatories to the convention.

There is a large package of legislation laid down on exhaust gas standards in the Community in the
7.
vehicle type approval system by Council Directive 70/0220/EEC of 20 March 1970 on the approximation
of the laws of the Member States relating to measures to be taken against air pollution by gases from
positive-ignition engines of motor vehicles (8) as last amended by Directive 98/0077/EC (9). This series of
directives lays down mandatory uniform emission standards.

Moreover, Council Directive 96/0096/EC of 20 December 1996 on the approximation of the laws of the
Member States relating to roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers (10) requires that
vehicles must have regular inspections at which the emission standards will be checked.

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Council Directive 91/0671/EEC of 16 December 1991 on the approximation of the laws of the
8.
Member States relating to compulsory use of safety belts in vehicles of less than 3,5 tonnes (11) makes the
wearing of seat belts compulsory on front and back seats of vehicles. There is no standard speed limit on
European roads.

(1) OJ L 370, 31.12.1985.
(2) OJ L 237, 24.8.1991.
(3) OJ L 46, 17.2.1997.
(4) OJ L 57, 2.3.1992.
(5) OJ L 373, 31.12.1991.
(6) OJ L 319, 12.12.1994.
(7) OJ L 299, 10.11.1998.
(8) OJ L 76, 6.4.1970.
(9) OJ L 286, 23.10.1998.
(10) OJ L 46, 17.2.1997.
(11) OJ L 373, 31.12.1991.

(2000/C 170 E/019)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1463/99

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 September 1999)

Subject: Canadian Fisheries Act C-27

The Commission has acknowledged that the Canadian Fisheries Act C-27 is inconsistent with international
law. It has not been amended during its passage through Parliament, as called for by the EU on many
occasions, and the recent EU-Canada Summit in June 1999 failed to make any progress on this serious
issue, with the result that the extraterritorial aspects of Canadian fisheries legislation, which were described
by the Commission in its answer to my previous question, prior to the Summit (E-0942/99) (1) as being
(cid:145)a matter of grave concern for the Community(cid:146), remain.

Can the Commission say what fresh action it will take in response to Canada(cid:146)s lack of will to resolve this
serious dispute which will hinder the smooth progress of EU-Canada relations until it is settled?

(1) OJ C 348, 3.12.1999, p. 145.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(26 October 1999)

Community concerns about the Canadian legislation enabling Canada to implement the 1995 United
Nations (UN) agreement on straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks (Bill C-27) have made
this one of the most important topics between the Community and Canada. This led to increased contacts
with the Canadian side at both expert and political levels in the wake of the Community-Canada summit
in June 1999. In the course of this process, substantial progress has been made. Canada submitted written
statements which clarify the respective scopes of the extra-territorial legislation of 1994 and the newly
enacted legislation and which confirm that the terms of the new legislation are intended to be fully
consistent with the terms of the UN agreement and will be applied accordingly. As these statements meet
Community concerns in a satisfactory manner, the most sensitive political issues can be brought to a close.
The Commission, therefore, issued Canada with a note verbale on 30 September 1999 setting out the
Community(cid:146)s understanding of these political issues and reserving the Community(cid:146)s position on certain
other extra-territorial aspects of Canadian fisheries legislation. In the latter context, it may be necessary to
address some outstanding legal matters of a more technical nature once the Commission(cid:146)s analysis of the
subordinate Canadian implementing regulations has been completed. To this end, Commission and
Canadian experts will meet soon.