Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the application of Directive (EU) 2015/413 facilitating cross-border exchange of information on road-safety-related traffic offences

Directive 2015/413/EU facilitating the cross-border exchange of information on road safety related traffic offences ('CBE Directive') aims to ensure a high level of protection for all road users by facilitating the cross-border exchange of information on road safety related traffic offences, and thereby facilitating the enforcement of sanctions, where those offences are committed with a vehicle registered in a Member State other than the Member State in which the offence took place.

The CBE Directive envisages the use of an electronic information system which makes it possible for EU Member States to perform automated searches for vehicle registration data in order to identify the owner/holder of the vehicle with which a road traffic offence has been committed. Once the vehicle’s owner/holder or the person suspected of having committed a road safety related traffic offence has been identified, the Member State in which the offence was committed decides whether to initiate follow-up proceedings.

The CBE Directive is expected to improve Member State authorities’ ability to identify non-resident offenders and increase non-resident road users' awareness of road traffic rules in force in other Member States. This should have a deterrent effect on non-resident road users, leading to better compliance with the rules. Greater respect for the rules i.e. better behaviour and fewer offences, should lead to fewer road fatalities and fatal accidents.

Under Article 11 of the CBE Directive, the Commission is obliged to evaluate specific aspects of the application of the Directive by Member States, and submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council by 7 November 2016. The present report, supported by an external evaluation study, meets this obligation.

ESO: Background information: Road safety in the EU http://www.europeansources.info/record/road-safety-in-the-eu/

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