Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-11-19-Speech-1-235-000"
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"en.20121119.27.1-235-000"2
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".
Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen. I can only say that patience is its own reward. The report on type approval for Category L vehicles has turned out well in the end. The work took longer, overall, than we all thought it would – certainly longer than we hoped it would – and there were a lot more pitfalls along the way than we would have liked.
However, I would like, at this point, to thank the rapporteur, Mr van de Camp, most warmly for his excellent cooperation. Together we achieved a lot in our talks with the Member States. As rapporteur for my group, I commend this report to the House – even though it could have been better. By better I mean safer.
For us Social Democrats, the emphasis right from the start was on the safety of vehicles and thus the safety of their drivers, above all those driving scooters and motorcycles. The figures for motorcycle accidents have remained constant for years. Basically the number of fatal accidents is declining in Europe – apart from those involving motorcycles.
Cutting the number of motorcycle and scooter fatalities is something I feel passionate about. Fewer deaths on Europe’s roads was and is my goal. Each death is one death too many. In a regulation that brings so much benefit to the internal market, this issue must be addressed with vigour.
I remain convinced that this can be achieved through effective anti-lock braking systems (ABS). I am equally convinced that they are cost-effective. It just is not true that ABS is too expensive. Anyway, we have secured a mandatory requirement that manufacturers must, as of 2016, fit all new motorcycles of 125 cc and over, and from 2017 all existing motorcycles of that capacity, with ABS.
Motor scooters may be fitted, at the choice of the vehicle manufacturer, with ABS or a combined brake system. In this respect, it must be said, unfortunately, that we have not managed to improve on the Commission’s proposal. I would have liked to have achieved a lot more here, but the Commission and Member States were – I choose my words carefully – very slow to move forward on the whole business.
However, we secured the promise of a Commission report in 2019. The report is to include road accident figures from the Member States and will consider the mandatory fitting of ABS to motor scooters. It will be forwarded to Parliament and the Council. On the basis of the report, the Commission will then decide whether or not to make the fitting of ABS to motor scooters mandatory.
As you can see, this remains very much a work in progress. Thus we shall seek to close the loophole in the law in 2019. I am sure the figures we receive will vindicate me. I am convinced that this is indeed a good day for two-wheeler riders in Europe, and that we shall see a drop in the accident figures in future."@en1
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