The EU is a economic and political partnership between 27 democratic European countries. It aims at peace, prosperity and freedom for its 498 million citizens - in a fairer, safer world. The results so far are frontier-free travel and trade, the single European currency EURO, safer food and a greener environment, better living standards in poorer regions, joint action on crime and terror, cheaper phone calls, millions of opportunities to study abroad, and much more besides.
Cross-border enforcement
To make these things happen, EU countries set up bodies to run the EU and adopt its legislation. In December 2008 the EU Commission agreed to cross-border enforcement. This means pursuing and sanctioning traffic offences committed with a vehicle that is registered in another member state than the member state where the offence has taken place. Covered are speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, non-use of a seat belt and failing to stop at a red traffic light. The proposal only deals with financial penalties; penalty points linked with a driving licence and withdrawing of a driving licence are not dealt with.Unequal treatment of foreign and local drivers
A total of 49 parliamentarians voted in favour of the plan to deliver more effective cross-border enforcement of penalties. No one voted against, while one MEP abstained. According to Spanish Socialist Inez Ayala Sender, stirring the dossier in the European Parliament, the main goal is to put an end to unequal treatment of foreign and local drivers when they have committed similar offences.Electronic data exchange network
The draft legislation's cornerstone is "an electronic data exchange network", which would see EU states swiftly identify the holder of a vehicle registration document and exchange the necessary data linked to traffic offences. In practice, once an offence is committed, where the vehicle is registered would be identified and the relevant national authority would then send notification of an offence to the owner of the vehicle, requesting payment of the fine.Other traffic infringements
At this stage, four types of offences - speeding, drink-driving, non-use of a seatbelt and failing to stop at a red traffic light - fall under the scope of the draft law, as they are responsible for 75 percent of road deaths. But eventually, the European Commission and MEPs are to look into the possibility of extending the law to cover other traffic infringements such as driving under the influence of drugs, using mobile phones while driving and uninsured driving.Intensive checks on the roads
The changes are expected to contribute to the EU's overall ambition of reducing the number of people killed on European roads by 50 percent by 2010 - something that the European Commission itself sees as unlikely to be achieved. In addition, MEPs backed the idea of intensive checks on the roads.Speed controls increase by 30 percent
The number of speed controls should be increased by 30 percent in those countries where the fatality rate stands above the EU average, believe euro-deputies. At least 30 percent of all drivers should annually be tested for drinking amounts higher than the legal limit. Furthermore, the parliamentarians also want checks on wearing a seat belt carried out for at least six weeks a year in countries where non-compliance is high.This introduction page is about traffic penalties, EU, cross-border enforcement, speeding, influence of alcohol, seat belt, red traffic light, financial penalties, penalty points, driving licence.
-->