Politicians willing to resolve problems of enforcement against FRVsItem Added 30 January 2008Eurosparks 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.
The vibe from local authorities attending Eurosparks seminars has been a strong desire to participate in the SPARKS programme and work with each other to resolve problems enforcing traffic laws against foreign registered vehicles.
The Eurosparks final seminar, in Brussels on 24 January, revealed European Commission politicians and civil servants have this same desire. They recognise something needs to be done at European level; FRV contraventions are not just a problem for member states to resolve.
Salla Saastamoinen, who heads the civil justice unit in the Directorate General Justice, Freedom & Security, welcomed the Eurosparks results and recommendations. She gave an overview of enforcement from the EC perspective and said: “The enforcement side is quite young. We are still waiting to see if our regulations are achieving their aims. Eurosparks has interesting results and recommendations. Now it is time for us in the Commission to look at them and how they affect our policies in the future.”
Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, a member of the Civil Liberties, Justice & Home Affairs committee, spoke about the impact enforcement has on her London constituents’ views of Europe.
“The problem of foreign drivers is a spinoff of a great European success story. The fact that we can move freely around the EU and live and work where we like is a fact to be celebrated.
“Any system of regulation is only as effective as its enforcement. There is also an issue of EU credibility. My constituents are not interested in knowing why it is difficult, what they want to know is why we aren’t making foreign drivers pay their fines.
“The research you have done is impressive and a through job in articulating what needs to be done. We need to get clarity of what legal and EU action is required and to get the Commission machinery to focus on what needs to be done and protect data protection and procedural safeguards.”
Other speakers at the Brussels seminar included Wim Rasschaert who gave an overview of enforcement issues in Belgium, Richard Kitchen of the DVLA who spoke from the perspective of a national licensing agency, Nick Lester who charted the history of the SPARKS Programme and enforcement in London, and Professor Patrick Brikinshaw who explained the Eurosparks recommendations:
• A new directive under the Common Transport Policy provisions within the EC Treaty
• Extending Council Framework Decision 2005/214/JHA, known as COPEN24, to cover decriminalised civil offences
• Member states form bilateral or multilateral treaties covering mutual enforcement.
“Audience feedback on what the speakers said was extremely positive and delegates clearly enjoyed taking part in the discussions, which were lively and wide ranging” said SPARKS programme manager Bill Blakemore. “Over half the audience indicated they want to be involved in future SPARKS activities including influencing the EC.
“Many were clearly well informed about the topic of foreign registered vehicle enforcement and explored the topic in greater depth through their questions. Our speakers and many delegates are in very senior positions in government, the European Commission or other organisations. We had a good cross-section of stakeholders and heard the point of view of lawyers, politicians and officials. The conference has given us an excellent platform upon which to build new relationships and take forward our influencing programme.”
The SPARKS Programme will present its Eurosparks recommendations to DG Transport and DG Justice by the end of March 2008. Over the coming year programme members will be lobbying politicians and civil servants in the EC and within member states with the aim of introducing new legislation in time for the London Olympics in 2012.
Eurosparks legal research abstract
Wim Rasschaert The Belgian context
Salla Saastamoinen the European Commission perspective
Nick Lester The SPARKS Programme
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Facts & Figures- FRVs are 30% more likely to be involved in an accident than a UK registered vehicle
- FRVs are 20% more likely to fail roadside tests
- FRVs are twice as likely to avoid the congestion charge in London compared to UK registered vehicles
- FRVs are more likely to be caught speeding and to contravene bus lane regulations in London
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