Speed limiters: reasoned opinions sent to two EU Countries

Publication date: 07 July 2005

The Commission has sent reasoned opinions to the Czech Republic and Ireland which have so far failed to communicate to it measures for the transposal into national law of European legislation on the installation and use of speed limitation devices for certain categories of motor vehicles. Improving road safety is a constant priority of European transport policy.

The Directive 2002/85/EC supplements the existing legislation by extending the scope of the harmonisation of the requirements relating to the installation and use of speed limitation devices. It requires that vehicles intended to transport passengers registered as from 1 January 2005 and having more than eight seats, including the driver’s seat, must be equipped with a speed limitation device set in such a way that their speed cannot exceed 100 km/hour. Vehicles used for the transport of goods having a maximum weight in excess of 3.5 tonnes registered as from the same date must be fitted with a speed limitation device set in such a way that their speed cannot exceed 90 km/hour.

Member States may also require that the speed limitation device in vehicles registered in their territory and used exclusively for the transport of dangerous goods is set in such a way that those vehicles cannot exceed a maximum speed of less than 90 km/hour.

The Czech Republic and Ireland have not yet communicated the measures for the transposal of this Directive into their national law. The time limit for that was 1 January 2005.

The reasoned opinions represent the second stage in the infringement procedure for failure to transpose directives within the time limit laid down. The Member States have two months within which to reply before the next stage in the procedure is initiated.