Press Release: Directive on cross-border exchange of information on road safety offences adopted, Brussels, 29 September 2011

The Council today (29.9.2011) adopted, on the basis of a text agreed with the European Parliament in second reading, a directive on cross-border exchange of information on road traffic offences. Member states will have two years following the publication of the directive in the EU's Official Journal to transpose it into their
national legislation. The objective of this directive is to combat road traffic offences that considerably jeopardise road safety, by facilitating cross-border exchange of information. A member state in which an offence has been committed with a vehicle registered in another member state will be able to identify the holder of the vehicle and investigate who is personally liable for the offence, so that sanctions can be enforced. This will also help ensure equal treatment of drivers irrespective of their country of residence. According to an impact assessment carried out by the Commission, up to 5 000 lives could be saved every year by the application of such a measure.