Council essentially confirms Commission’s proposal on regulation making safety technology mandatory
Date
30 Nov 2018
Sections
Transport
Yesterday, representatives of the EU member states in the Council adopted their position on the General Safety Regulation published by the European Commission in May 2018. The draft regulation proposes to make obligatory a list of safety measures for various vehicles classes over the coming years.
The Council is essentially confirming the proposal, except for changes to the timeline for manufacturers to deploy certain measures in new vehicles, such as pedestrian and cyclist enlarged head impact zone and forward vision. The timeline for other measures such as the more hotly discussed Intelligent Speed Assistance or distraction recognition remain unchanged. Furthermore, the Council supports strengthening the principle of technology neutrality.
Sigrid de Vries, Secretary General of the European Association of Automotive Suppliers comments positively:
“We are glad to see that the Council has not only swiftly taken position but also essentially supports the Commission’s proposal. Automotive suppliers are strongly in favour of adopting the regulation without delays or limiting its scope and even strengthening technology neutrality. We know that the regulation will contribute substantially to road safety and save many thousands of lives over the coming years. We hope that the European Parliament will also speedily conclude its examination and start talks with Council so that the regulation can enter into force as soon as possible.”
In that spirit, CLEPA participated today in an expert workshop on the regulation organised by the Parliament’s rapporteur Róża Thun MEP (IMCO), with a speaker from Bosch who provided insights in the important contributions safety technologies can make.
With the position of the Council now adopted, it is up to the Parliament to in turn conclude its internal debate, which is expected in spring 2019. This will be followed by tripartite negotiations between Commission, Council and Parliament (trilogues). With the European elections taking place in 2019, there is a risk that the trilogues will be delayed until the newly elected Parliament and Commission take office.
Note to the editor:
CLEPA, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers, represents over 3.000 companies supplying state-of-the-art components and innovative technology for safe, smart and sustainable mobility, investing over 20 billion euros yearly in research and development. Automotive suppliers in Europe employ nearly five million people across the continent.