Cuardaigh

On 1 March 2023, as part of the road safety package, the European Commission published a legislative proposal to help ensure EU-wide application of driving disqualifications. The proposal calls for increased cooperation, harmonisation of legislation, simplification of information exchange, capacity building, and improved public awareness efforts. In order to prevent impunity due to a lack of legislation, the proposal sets out rules to allow better EU-wide enforcement of driver disqualification decisions ...

On 1 March 2023, the European Commission published its legislative proposal on driving licences – a matter of EU competence – with the purpose of enabling the free movement of persons and goods throughout the EU by modernising the driving licence system. This involves making driving licence rules future-proof, improving road safety and simplifying the rules for those wanting to get a driving licence. The proposal provides for accompanied driving for young learners, zero tolerance for drink- driving ...

In July 2023, the European Commission tabled a package of proposals aimed at greening freight transport. One of these proposals focuses on improving the use of rail infrastructure capacity. The proposed text suggests changes to the rules governing the planning and allocation of railway infrastructure capacity, which are currently outlined in Directive 2012/34/EU and Regulation (EU) No 913/2010. The goal of the changes is to enhance the management of rail infrastructure capacity and traffic as a way ...

In February 2023, the European Commission proposed a revision to Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 on CO2 emission standards for new heavy-duty vehicles in the EU. The proposed changes would broaden the scope of the regulation to include urban buses, coaches, trailers and additional types of lorries. The goal is to reduce, by 2040, the average CO2 emissions of new heavy-duty vehicles by 90 % compared to 2019 levels. Council adopted its position in October 2023 and Parliament at its November II 2023 session ...

On 1 June 2023, the European Commission presented the maritime safety package, including a proposal to amend Directive 2009/18/EC establishing the fundamental principles governing the investigation of accidents in the maritime transport sector. The aim of this revision is to take account of legal, environmental and technological developments since the adoption of the directive. Parliament is expected to vote on the provisional agreement reached during trilogue negotiations during its April I 2024 ...

The impact assessment (IA) defines the problems, their drivers, the objectives and the options of the initiative in a robust intervention logic. It is based on several sources, including the 'fitness check' of current EU animal welfare legislation, an external supporting study and stakeholder feedback. The IA presents a range of policy options; however, for some options, it does not provide alternatives. The assessment of the options' impacts (economic, social, environmental, animal welfare) is qualitative ...

The Single European Sky (SES) initiative seeks to make EU airspace less fragmented and to improve air traffic management in terms of safety, capacity, cost-efficiency and the environment. Its current regulatory framework is based on two legislative packages: SES I (adopted in 2004), which set up the principal legal framework, and SES II (adopted in 2009), which aimed to tackle substantial air traffic growth, increase safety, and reduce costs and delays and the impact of air traffic on the environment ...

On 1 June 2023, the European Commission presented a legislative package to modernise and reinforce maritime rules on safety and pollution prevention. The package contains proposals to revise five legal acts, including the Port State Control Directive (PSCD). The aim is to update them so that they are in line with the requirements of the International Maritime Organization and the regional organisation for port state control set up under the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The proposal refers ...

Road safety has improved significantly in the EU, with the number of road fatalities falling by more than 60 % in the last 20 years. However, improvements in road safety fell short of the EU goals of decreasing the number of road deaths by 50 % between 2001 and 2010, and by an additional 50 % between 2011 and 2020. Directive (EU) 2015/413 facilitating cross-border exchange of information on road safety-related traffic offences – the Cross-border Enforcement (CBE) Directive – is one of the pillars ...