Road safety: pedestrian protection, commitment by the European automobile industry

The committee adopted the report by Ewa HEDKVIST PETERSEN (PES, S) on the Commission communication. While welcoming the voluntary agreement by the European automobile industry on road safety and pedestrian protection as a first step towards improving road safety, the committee believed it was not the best way to protect pedestrians in the long run. For example, the report stressed that the ban on rigid bull bars on new cars was to be welcomed, but that the equipping of cars with bull bars bought separately as an accessory could only be banned by way of legislation. The committee therefore asked the Commission to come forward with a framework directive laying down a clear, realistic time-frame and detailed monitoring methods. It said that the EEVC should be regarded as the institution which was at the forefront of research into road safety world wide and that the long-term goal of the framework legislation should be to ensure compliance by 2010 with the four tests developed by the EEVC or other test methods offering equivalent protection for pedestrians. The Commission should also ensure that the Member States were suitably involved in monitoring the implementation of the framework directive, for example through the national authorities responsible for the type approval of vehicles. The committee also said that, pending the adoption of the framework legislation, the monitoring committee set up under the voluntary agreement should include representatives of consumers' organisations and that these should participate in the selection of independent technical experts and services. Lastly, the Commission was urged to monitor pedestrian casualties and to report to Parliament on an annual basis. �