Speedy solution needed for foreign traffic offences

“If we don’t act now, the cross-border exchange of information on road safety traffic offences will lose its legal basis in 6 months. This would be unacceptable”, stated EPP Group MEP Georges Bach.

"For road safety and trust in the judiciary system, it is highly necessary to penalise road users from other EU Member States who commit traffic offences", Bach argued. The EPP Group therefore voted in favour of a proposal to regulate the exchange of information this morning in the European Parliament’s Transport Committee.

"Foreign motorists are more often involved in traffic offences, mainly speeding, than national car drivers. This should be tackled: we are serious about saving lives on the road", Bach added.

The previous Regulation was annulled by the European Court of Justice in May 2014. The Court found the proposal was not based on the right legal grounds. A new proposal was tabled to fix this before the deadline of May 2015.

The proposal includes many offences like driving under the influence of drugs, using a mobile phone while driving or driving a motorcycle without wearing a helmet.

Police in the Member States have the authorisation to ask their counterparts in other Member States for the name and address of the offender.