Tachographs in road transport
The Council agreed on a partial general approach on a new draft regulation setting out requirements for the construction, installation, use and testing of tachographs.
The partial general approach does not cover the proposed provision on merging the driving licence with the driver card used with the tachograph. That provision will be discussed at a later stage, in parallel with the proposal for a revision of the driving licences directive, recently submitted by the Commission, which also provides for the inclusion of the driver card functionalities into the driving licence.
The partial general approach contains the following key elements:
- As regards the use of technology, the current manual recording of the location of the vehicle will be replaced by automated recording through satellite positioning. Moreover, remote communication from the tachograph providing basic information on compliance will allow for early detection of possible manipulation or misuse, thereby enabling officers to target roadside checks better and avoid unnecessary checks. However, there will be no obligation for member states to ensure that their inspection authorities are equipped with the instruments required for remote early detection of this kind. In addition, the tachograph may be equipped with an interface facilitating its integration into Intelligent Transport Systems, subject to certain conditions.
- The regulatory changes will include stricter requirements for workshops responsible for installing and calibrating tachographs. In order to cut the administrative burden, the exemption from the obligation to use tachographs, which member states may grant to certain users - mainly small and medium-sized enterprises - will be extended: for those users, the new draft regulation introduces an exemption for transport operations within a radius of 100 km, whilst hitherto the exemption has been limited to 50 km in certain cases. The regulatory measures will apply two years after the publication of the regulation in the Union's Official Journal, with the exception of the rules on the approval and control of workshops and the use of driver cards, which will be applicable one year earlier. The "smart tachograph", that is, the application of the new satellite-linked technology, will become mandatory 40 months after the technical specifications for the new tachograph have been established, i. e. probably in 2017 or 2018.
The text agreed is a compromise presented by the presidency and supported by a large majority of delegations. However, some delegations still have concerns on specific points.
- One delegation wishes to extend the exemptions from the requirement to use the tachograph, so as to increase the radius for exempted transport operations to 150 km.
- Some other delegations, arguing that any harmonisation of sanctions should be excluded, would prefer leaving out the requirement that penalties must be in compliance with the categories of infringements defined in the directive on social legislation relating to road transport activities.
The European Parliament, whose approval is also required for the adoption of the regulation, has yet to discuss the proposal.