52000SC0631

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 251(2) of the EC-Treaty concerning the common position of the Council on a proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the front underrun protection of motor vehicles and amending Council Directive 70/156/EEC

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION To the European Parliament pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 251(2) of the EC-Treaty concerning the common position of the Council on a proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the front underrun protection of motor vehicles and amending Council Directive 70/156/EEC

1. BACKGROUND

- Date of transmission of the proposal to the EP and the Council (COM(1999)32 final - 1999/0007 COD): 10.02.1999

- Date of the opinion of the European Parliament on first reading: 27.10.1999

- Date of the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee: 26.05.1999

- Date of adoption of the common position: 27.03.2000

2. AIM OF THE COMMISSION PROPOSAL

The intention of this proposal is to help reduce the number of persons killed or seriously injured in road accidents by introducing new standards for front underrun protection on heavy goods vehicles.

The proposal applies to new types of vehicles approved after a given date and defines a test procedure which will represent a typical frontal collision between a car and a heavy goods vehicle in a realistic manner. The proposal includes the technical specifications drawn up by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

3. COMMENTS ON THE COMMON POSITION

3.1 Brief general comments on the common position

In its common position the Council has not made any changes of substance to the Commission's initial proposal. The technical part (contained in an annex) simply contains a reference to Regulation No 93 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE, the text of which is not included in the directive).

3.2 Action taken on the European Parliament's amendments on first reading: No amendment.

3.3 Commission position on new provisions introduced by the Council: The Commission considers that its proposal has not been altered in substance.

4. CONCLUSIONS

The Commission endorses the common position. The safety concerns are such that this Directive should be adopted as soon as possible.