Sparks Project

News Releases

SPARKS views debated in House of Commons
01 April 2008

MPs support SPARKS calls for changes in the Local Transport Bill during its second reading in the House of Commons
Extend road safety directive to include all traffic offences
20 March 2008

EU should level the playing field and amend its proposed road safety directive to include all traffic offences.
Unified EU Voice for traffic authorities
10 March 2008

SPARKS Network will take forward influencing programme into European Commission during 2008
Politicians willing to resolve problems of enforcement against FRVs
30 January 2008

Eurosparks Brussels seminar has proved an excellent platform on which to build new EU relationships and take forward the SPARKS influencing programme into the European Commission.
EU officials welcome Eurosparks findings during Brussels seminar
24 January 2008

Foreign vehicle owners could soon be traced and forece to pay what they owe. Eurosparks research project provides solutions for EU-wide traffic enforcement.
Local Transport Bill update
14 January 2008

The SPARKS Programme sent a briefing to peers before the second reading of the Local Transport Bill in the House of Lords on 20 November 2007.
French concerned about enforcement against foreign vehicles
14 January 2008

Eurosparks Paris seminar highlights issue of enforcement against foreign drivers among French politicians and senior civil servants.
UK transport industry supports Eurosparks calls for new EU legislation
10 January 2008

The UK transport industry considers new European legislation a positive step forward in its drive to increase compliance with civil traffic laws, though there are concerns about how to make legislation work in practice.
Maltese support call for new EU legislation
07 January 2008

The Maltese government supports Eurosparks calls for new EU legislation to increase foreign registered vehicle compliance with national parking and driving laws.
Germans interested in safe and non-polluting traffic control
02 January 2008

German municipalities and federal states are just as interested in safe and non-polluting traffic control as local authorities in other EU member states, according to delegates at Berlin’s Eurosparks seminar.
Eurosparks Seminar 24 January: Towards a European solution for cross border civil traffic enforcement
24 December 2007

Join senior EU civil servants and delegates from municipality associations across Europe in discussing issues around enforcing local and national traffic laws against drivers of vehicles registered in other member states.
London seminar to explore Eurosparks interim findings
13 November 2007

London seminar organised by the International Bar Association explores how law and practice can be better aligned to improve enforcement of decriminalised traffic penalties.
Government heeds SPARKS call for new powers for DVLA
09 November 2007

The government has heeded calls from the SPARKS Programme to give the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) more power to help prevent foreign registered drivers avoid paying parking and other traffic penalties.
Eurosparks research confirms new legislation needed to improve traffic compliance
07 November 2007

Legal experts call for a new directive within the EC Treaty to increase compliance with civil traffic laws
Government responds to SPARKS petition
06 November 2007

Government acknowledges need for Europe-wide solution to data exchange
Latest government statistics support SPARKS research
05 November 2007

Newly released government statistics support SPARKS recent research on foreign vehicle activity around the United Kingdom
Dutch support new legislation and bilateral agreements
31 October 2007

Dutch see need for multiple solutions to problem of cross border enforcement
Italians embrace Eurosparks recommendations
29 October 2007

Italians endorse recommendations in Eurosparks legal research at Rome seminar.
SPARKS Programme Calls for New DVLA Powers in the Local Transport Bill
17 September 2007

The DVLA must be given new powers under the Local Transport Bill to help local authorities crackdown on the problem of foreign registered vehicles avoiding paying parking and other traffic penalties – says the SPARKS Programme.
Minister consults SPARKS Programme on effective enforcement
10 September 2007

Minister of State Rosie Winterton MP listens with interest to SPARKS views on traffic enforcement against FRVs
FRV research launched in House of Commons
01 September 2007

MPs and peers are more aware of FRV activity in the UK and enforcement difficulties local authorities face following SPARKS inaugural parliamentary reception.
Transport Select Committee supports SPARKS campaign for action on FRVs
19 August 2007

Local authorities need access to European vehicle registration data to enforce traffic regulations against overseas vehicles, acknowledges the Transport Select Committee in its report on the draft Local Transport Bill.
New SPARKS Research highlights huge increase in Foreign Registered Vehicles
23 July 2007

According to a study which the SPARKS Programme is publishing today (23 July 2007) the numbers of foreign registered vehicles (FRV's) entering the UK has doubled in the last 10 years and in 2007 more than three million foreign registered vehicles will enter the UK.
Britain signs up to Prüm
12 July 2007

British ministers have recently agreed to support a new EU law to allow cross-border access to DVLA’s vehicle registration data for law enforcement purposes.
Petition to increase DVLA powers attracts support
28 June 2007

In its first two weeks the SPARKS Programme petition has support from more than 100 people who agree the DVLA should have powers to receive and process data from other European licensing agencies.
Eight European countries join forces to launch the Eurosparks project
01 March 2007

Collaboration between local authorities and the legal profession will improve traffic law enforcement across the EU, according to partners in the newly-launched Eurosparks project.
Information Sharing across Europe Vital to Prevent Motorists Flouting Traffic Laws
05 February 2007

Plans to introduce a European road user charging system could be undermined unless traffic enforcement agencies are able to share information on drivers flouting parking and other regulations between European countries, say the SPARKS Programme.
EU Funds for the SPARKS Programme
28 November 2006

European Commission announces funding for Eurosparks project to research enforcement across national borders of civil judgements relating to road traffic penalties.
Tracing overseas drivers a major problem in Germany
20 November 2006

Identifying drivers of foreign vehicles and enforcing penalties abroad, are just as big an obstacle to German local authorities as they are in the UK.
MPs Recognise SPARKS Contribution
22 June 2006

The SPARKS Programme's contribution to the parking debate is acknowledged in the most recent select committee report on transport.

Facts & Figures

  • London has an exceptionally high level of foreign vehicle activity - the city accounts for 7% of all UK traffic activity, but 20% of FRV activity
  • 3% of all traffic activity in London is FRV
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