Road infrastructure and tunnel safety

Author (Corporate)
Series Title
Series Details January 2018
Publication Date January 2018
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This briefing is one in a series of 'Implementation Appraisals' on the operation of existing EU legislation in practice. Each such briefing focuses on a specific EU law which is likely to be amended or reviewed, as foreseen in the European Commission's Annual Work Programme.

Implementation Appraisals aim to provide a succinct overview of material publicly available on the implementation, application and effectiveness of an EU law to date – drawing on available input from the EU institutions and external organisations. They are provided to assist parliamentary committees in their consideration of the new proposals, once tabled.In 2010, the European Commission adopted the road safety programme, aimed at reducing road deaths in Europe by half in the following decade. Through its strategic objectives, the programme focuses on three main issues: vehicle safety, the infrastructure safety, and road users' behaviour. The initiatives undertaken within the road safety programme refer to both EU and national level.

In its efforts to improve road safety, the European Union was considering new measures and activities, as well as reviewing existing legislation. In this context, the European Commission decided to assess two pieces of legislation dealing with road infrastructure and tunnel safety issues: Directive 2008/96/EC and Directive 2004/54/EC, with a view to analysing whether they were still fit for current realities and needs.

Directive 2008/96/EC requests Member States to put in place and implement 'procedures relating to road safety impact assessments, road safety audits, the management of road network safety and safety inspections' (Article 1), while Directive 2004/54/EC aims at ensuring 'a minimum level of safety for road users in tunnels in the trans-European road network' (Article 1). This implementation appraisal focuses on the evaluation of the two directives, a process that precedes the European Commission's new proposal, expected early in 2018.

Source Link Link to Main Source http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2018/611028/EPRS_BRI(2018)611028_EN.pdf
Related Links
EP: EPRS: Briefing: Implementation in Action, November 2017: Implementation appraisals following the Commission Work Programme 2018 http://www.europeansources.info/record/implementation-appraisals-following-the-commission-work-programme-2018/
EP: EPRS: Briefing: Implementation Appraisal: Ex-ante Impact Assessment http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/search.html?policyAreas=EXIMAS
ESO: Key source: Road safety http://www.europeansources.info/record/road-safety-2/

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