WRITTEN QUESTION E-0124/02 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Licence to drive a bus or coach.
Date: 2002-01-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, Italy, age discrimination, approximation of laws, bus, drivers, driving licence, population of working age

C 172 E/146

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.7.2002

The verification of the eligibility of the declared expenditure by the United Kingdom is currently ongoing.
In this context, three control missions have already taken place, the last one in the week of 28 January
2002. Additional missions will be scheduled in the next months. The final eligible amount for Community
compensation will be fixed in the light of the results of the control missions.

in addition to the Commission controls, Council Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 of
Furthermore,
17 May 1999 on the financing of the common agriculture policy (3) states that the Member States shall
take the measures necessary to:

(a)

satisfy themselves that transactions financed by the Fund are actually carried out and executed
correctly;

(b) prevent and deal with irregularities;

(c)

recover sums lost as a result of irregularities or negligence (Article 8).

Finally, the Court of Auditors is also conducting a formal enquiry into the management and financing of
the FMD crisis and the European Parliament has also established a Temporary Committee on FMD.

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990.
(2) OJ L 230, 28.8.2001.
(3) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.

(2002/C 172 E/152)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0124/02

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(29 January 2002)

Subject: Licence to drive a bus or coach

In Italy, when bus or coach drivers reach the age of sixty-five their licence to drive a bus or coach is
automatically revoked. This does not seem to happen in other countries of the European Union, where no
such restriction exists and drivers keep their licence to drive a bus or coach even after the age of sixty-five
as long as they are judged to be mentally and physically fit.

This means that a German citizen of over sixty-five is for example perfectly free to drive a bus or coach in
Italy although an Italian of the same age is precluded from doing so.

This leads to a disparity to the disadvantage of small and very small Italian family undertakings in that
sector.

In view of the above facts, can the Commission answer the following questions:

1. Do any European Union directives exist on this subject?

2. What is the situation in the other Member States?

3. What are its views on this matter?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(12 March 2002)

Council Directive 91/439/EEC of 29 July 1991 on driving licences (1), which was adopted on 29 July
1.
1991, entered into force on 1 July 1996. It provides for the mutual recognition of all driving licences
issued in the Member States. However, each Member State retains full responsibility for determining the
period of validity of its national licences (Article 1(3) of the Directive).

2.
The situation is complex and differs considerably from one Member State to another. Moreover, the
period of validity of a licence is not always linked to the regular medical examinations which the Member
States have to make drivers of heavy goods vehicles and buses or coaches undergo in order to assess their
physical fitness to drive (2).

18.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 172 E/147

There are three Member States apart from Italy in which a licence to drive a bus or coach may not be
renewed once the driver has reached a certain age: Portugal for drivers over 65, Finland for drivers over 70
and Luxembourg for drivers over 75. Full information about the other Member States is being sent directly
to the Honourable Member and to the Secretariat-General of Parliament.

In view of the complexity of the subject, which has been recognised by the Court of Justice (3),

3.
driving licences have to be harmonised gradually.

Even if the period of validity of licences is not yet harmonised, it should be pointed out that paragraph 4
regular medical
to the abovementioned Directive 91/439/EEC already provides for
of Annex III
examinations of drivers of heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches.
these
In a general manner,
examinations to a certain extent limit the period of validity of licences for these groups of drivers.

for a Directive amending
The Commission is currently considering the advisability of a proposal
Directive 91/439/EEC to include the introduction of a harmonised period of validity for all categories of
driving licence,
in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, in the framework of its future action
programme on road safety.

(1) OJ L 237, 24.8.1991.
(2) Pursuant to Annex III, paragraph 4, of Directive 91/439/EEC.
(3) Case C-193/94 Skanavi, [1996] ECR I-00929, at paragraph 27.

(2002/C 172 E/153)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0125/02

by Dorette Corbey (PSE), Albert Maat (PPE-DE)
and Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Commission

(29 January 2002)

Subject: Trade barriers introduced in response to the BSE crisis, particularly in the applicant countries

Since the outbreak of the BSE crisis, many non-member countries, including the applicant states, have
introduced trade barriers, for example against the import of breeding cattle and embryos.

1.

How many of these trade barriers still exist?

The European Commission’s classification of the geographical risks of BSE in the applicant states shows
that usually the risk is significant and comparable to that in the EU itself. Cases of BSE have already
occurred in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia. These countries and Hungary have since started to
implement BSE prevention measures, while the other applicant countries are also preparing to take over
this part of the Community acquis.

Does the Commission not share the view that, in the light of this, the countries that want to join the

2.
Union in the near future should remove the trade barriers concerned?

3.

If so, what does the Commission intend to do about this situation?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(27 March 2002)

1.
The restrictions imposed by third countries in late 2000 and early 2001 due the bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE) crisis in the Union remain largely intact. In general, these restrictions consist of
complete bans for imports from the Union of live cattle, beef and several other products of bovine origin.
In many cases, imports of bovine embryos are also banned. The import policies of the applicant countries
largely follow a similar line.