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The IRU welcomes the European Parliament TRAN Committee’s improvements to digital tachograph proposals

Date

01 Jun 2012

Sections

Transport

The IRU welcomes improvements made by the European Parliament TRAN committee to European Commission proposals to modify the EU tachograph Regulation, as it will considerably enhance fraud prevention. However the IRU rejects the committee’s call for compulsory retro-fitting of digital tachographs.

Brussels - Further to the European Parliament TRAN committee’s vote on digital tachograph regulations, the IRU welcomes the numerous improvements made to the EC proposal, and notably the compulsory training of enforcement officers, the free use of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, and a prohibition on automatic sanctions of the tachograph Regulation through the use of new technology fitted to digital tachographs. 

However, the IRU rejects the proposal to retro-fit all vehicles with digital tachographs. Such a move is neither technically feasible for all vehicles, nor justified. No financial costings or an impact assessment has been undertaken. The IRU therefore calls on the European Parliament to reject this aspect of the amendments at its July plenary session.

The President of the IRU Commission on Social Affairs, Georges Causse, explained “The European Parliament has called for important security enhancements to tachographs that will better prevent tachograph fraud which can undermine road safety, fair competition and working conditions and thus damage the industry.”

The IRU supports the TRAN Committee standpoint that if a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) capability is incorporated into digital tachographs, its use must be free of charge and fully protected by data privacy standards.

The IRU is also pleased that the TRAN committee has called for compulsory training and certification of enforcement officers to ensure the uniform application of the Tachograph and EU Driving and Rest Time Regulations, irrespective of the Member State in which the control is taking place.

 “Better trained and better informed control officers should take the burden away from law abiding operators. Remote communication from tachographs when fraudulent devices are detected will strengthen targeted enforcement but without ever leading to automatic penalties. Physical checks will still always be required,” Georges Causse concluded.

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See EC Regulation 3821/85/EC

See Driving and Rest Rules Regulation 561/2006/EC

IRU Observations on digital tachograph use in the EU 

Press contact: Juliette Ebélé, +41 22 918 27 07, press@iru.org

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