Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-02-22-Speech-2-322"
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"en.20050222.16.2-322"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the subject of the directive on driving licences has been a particularly hot potato in my country. I am very pleased that many points in the initial proposals which people rightly criticised no longer apply now, such as health checks for older drivers, on which much has already been said.
As far as the question of time limits is concerned, we should certainly take into consideration that individual Member States have very different cultures and traditions. In Germany there have been driving licences for more than a hundred years; no other country in the EU can lay claim to such a long history of driver licensing. We have our own tradition; others have theirs. It makes no sense for European legislators in general or the European Parliament in particular to go beyond what the Member States have hitherto agreed.
As for the introduction of the credit-card type of licence, this option has been available for five years now, and it is the Member States’ own fault if they have not yet taken it. Its introduction remains, however, a task for them; it is not our responsibility to impose it at this level as a binding obligation on everyone.
Allow me to raise another point of criticism. The new driving licence is supposed to contain a microchip; this will cost money and achieve nothing. Why did we spend time discussing digital codes and the like during the penultimate legislative term? It was so that the driving licence could be understood in every country. We do not need a chip, which will only cost money and serve no useful purpose.
I am delighted that the trailer problem has been resolved. I had very intensive discussions on this point with the rapporteur, and I believe we arrived at a good, practicable and people-friendly solution. Let us also please come up with people-friendly solutions to problems such as compulsory exchanging of licences and the like. We annoy people more than we help them by bestowing these unsolicited favours.
I therefore address myself to you, Commissioner, since yours is the honourable task of taking the final decision on the 129 amendments that have been tabled. These are very close to the Council’s position, and that is what best serves the public interest."@en1
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