Italians embrace Eurosparks recommendationsItem Added 29 October 2007 Italians endorse recommendations in Eurosparks legal research at Rome seminar.
Italian municipalities are frustrated at their inability to prosecute traffic offenders who drive cars with foreign plates, with local policemen and women suffering psychological stress due to the impossibility of doing their jobs, according to delegates at the Eurosparks seminar in Rome.
They welcomed recommendations for new European legislation in the interim Eurosparks report, but raised concerns about the ability of all member states to comply with the procedures envisaged in the recommendations.
The audience was very interested in the technical details of how contraventions are issued in different EU member states and the legal difficulties of collecting payment across borders.
One policewoman stated: “You miss the will to make fines to offenders if they are driving a car with a foreign plate because you know they will never pay the contravention. It is also useless to notify the contravention.”
Another policeman argued they could only stop vehicles that commit a crime but that this is statistically rare with foreign cars. “You can only stop the car and the owner if they are double parked or involved in a car crash.”
Delegates also raised the issue of harmonising driving and traffic laws across Europe, difficulties understanding information in foreign driving licenses and the potential for voluntary agreements between European public authorities to share vehicle and driver information.
Rome’s mayor has recently signed such an agreement with the Prime Minister of Romania. “This has been done in order to have the possibility to prosecute offenders who have committed serious offences that injure people and property. The agreement can only be partially effective until a European legal framework is created to enforce the law against all offenders regardless of their nationality,” said Regione Lazio segreteria tecnica & programmi comunitari Alessandro Drago, who organised the seminar.
Delegates from seven Italian municipalities, Lazio Region, the National Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI) and the media attended the seminar on 8 October in Rome. Speakers included University of Roma Tre law researcher Micaela Lottini, Massimo Pincelli of the Italian Agency for Public Administrations, Angelo Vitali of the Municipality of Rome and Kings College London Professor of European Union Law Andrea Biondi. |
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Facts & Figures- Over 3 million foreign registered vehicles (FRVs)enter the UK each year
- At any one time 142,000 FRVs are in the UK - 90% are cars, 8% are HGVs, 1% are coaches
- At any one time 3% of all vehicles driving on London's roads are FRVs; 47% are cars, 43% are HGVs, 7% are coaches
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