Brussels, 01/07/2008 - The European automobile manufacturers welcome the progress made in increasing consumer awareness and market take-up of ESC (electronic stability control), as highlighted today at the ‘Choose ESC’ campaign evaluation event in Brussels.

Improving road safety is one of the automotive manufacturers’ key priorities and the industry is an active participant in the ‘ChooseESC’ campaign of the European Commission to explain the benefits of this life-saving technology.

While welcoming the French Presidency, Rainer PLASSMANN, Secretary General of CEEP, expressed his wish for a Presidency built on the concept of partnership and dialogue.

The Presidency has already shown its “listening attitude” at least in the social field as regards the organisation of extraordinary Comité du dialogue pour les questions européennes et internationales (CDSEI) meetings with the inclusion of the European Social partners.

Ministers of health from the 53 countries of the WHO European Region today signed a new charter on health systems, committing themselves to concrete and measurable action on strengthening health systems that will allow both their own people and the international community to hold them to account.

“The European Parliament’s adoption of the long-awaited road infrastructure safety management directive is a positive step” said Werner Kraus, Chairman of the FIA
Eurocouncil. The set of non-binding guidelines annexed to the directive on how to manage road infrastructure safety provide a viable implementation tool for member states.

IRU Members held an emergency meeting today to discuss solutions to the growing unrest in the road transport industry worldwide due to the fuel price crisis and called upon competent authorities to heed the concerns and demands of the road transport industry.