Loyola de Palacio presenteert Handvest voor veiligheid op de weg aan Europese verkeersministers (6 april 2004) (en)

Dear Minister Brennan,

Dear Ministers,

[Dear President of the European Parliament,]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

"Saving 20 000 lives on our roads" is an ambitious target. When the Commission came up with this target in its White Paper on transport policy in 2001, the reactions were not all positive. If everybody recognised that 40.000 road deaths and 1,7 million casualties per year in Europe was definitely a price too high to pay for mobility, some experts on road safety said that halving the number of road deaths within 10 years time was at most a dream. These experts knew from their experience that setting up a target in road safety and achieving it are two completely different things. I am also aware of this difference.

That is precisely why we proposed very concrete measures in order to achieve our ambitious goal. First of all, the Commission edited a European Road Safety Action Programme in June 2003, which contains 60 measures to be taken in order to stimulate road users towards a more responsible behaviour, make vehicles safer and improve the road infrastructure. It also contains the European Road Safety Charter to which you have decided to subscribe today.

In accordance with the previous measure, in October 2003, we took a step further and adopted an enforcement package, which consists of three proposals aiming at improving road safety through a better enforcement of road safety rules. It contains:

in the first place, a recommendation which deals with the three main causes of road accidents, namely over-speeding, drunk-driving and the negligence of fastening the seat belt;

In the second place, a directive aiming at raising the quantity of checks carried out at the roadside and on the premises of road transport operators;

In the third place, a directive on driving licences aiming at reducing possibilities of fraud, ensuring a true freedom of movement to EU drivers and reinforcing road safety.

Now, I would like to illustrate you with some figures contained in a graph which you will be able to see in a moment. This graph shows the development in numbers of road fatalities from 1990 onwards.

[ Figures and graphics available in PDF and WORD PROCESSED]

(to be projected to a screen)

Let me be very clear: we are not talking only about statistics, curves and figures. Behind these, there are human beings and lives to be saved. When we speak about an improvement in road safety, like halving the number of road fatalities, it also means that 20.000 people would still be killed on our roads every year.

As you can see on this slide, there are two curves showing the development in the numbers of road fatalities from 1990 onwards. The green curve represents the development in the EU-15, the orange the one in the EU-25. In the late 90s, we had to face a slowdown in the decrease of road fatalities, which justified that the European Commission intervened, in order to speed up the process of decreasing the number of road fatalities again.

From 2001, we see the target curve (what should be done to achieve the 50% reduction by 2010), and a curve representing the real situation. If you have a look at the EU-15 curve, you will see that we are lagging approximately half a year behind the target curve. Both curves show the same trend. It is also visible that the decrease of the number of road fatalities has accelerated again since 2001. This is definitely good news. It is also the proof that fixing a target can be an efficient policy instrument provided that this target is realistic, which is encouraging. Yet we must remain vigilant.

The situation in the accession countries is worrying. Indeed, figures show a stagnation of road fatalities in these countries. One of our greatest objectives for the near future is to tackle this problem and to share good practices in the current Member States, which have enabled very promising improvements, with the new ones.

Experience shows that substantial progress towards safer roads can only be achieved if society is willing to accept an effective enforcement of the rules. I will always repeat this basic empirical evidence: countries with a high level of controls and checks have a low level of road fatalities.

It is true that enforcement seems to be one of the most unpopular measures a government can take but its substantial effect on saving lives is more than obvious. Furthermore, unlike infrastructure measures or the development of vehicle technology, enforcement measures are almost immediately available and applicable. Enforcement is definitely the most appropriate way to save lives on our roads in the short term! This is the reason why, a few months ago, we decided to present the Enforcement Package, to which I have already referred to before.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Halving the number of road victims is a shared responsibility. Safer infrastructure, for instance tunnels, for which a directive setting standards was adopted recently, is the responsibility of governments. This is also the case for the enforcement of rules on over-speeding, drunk-driving and the negligence of fastening the seat belt. Enforcement is of paramount importance to cure the symptoms of these misbehaviours, but it would also be equally desirable if road users behaved in a responsible way, if they complied with the rules because they make sense, because respecting the rules saves lives.

We have translated this into a campaign: the European Road Safety Charter. Announced in the Road Safety Action Programme in 2003, as I told you earlier, the Charter is the forum for civil society to take up their share of responsibility towards safer roads in Europe. During this event, you have heard and seen lots of figures, targets, deadlines and commitments. You have learned about very concrete and precise measures that companies and associations will undertake. The Irish Presidency has come up with an excellent example for a commitment to road safety, which is both ambitious and achievable, and above all: concrete and measurable. I believe that the idea of a mobilising target is the nucleus of both the Action Programme and the Charter. Having 35 signatories here in Dublin and having received almost 100 applications to sign the Charter during the 8 weeks since the Charter has been launched, proves it is appealing to a large audience. With this campaign, I honestly feel we will reach the citizens and make them aware of what is at stake: saving 20.000 lives.

Dear Minister Brennan, I am more than grateful that you have made this event happen. I cannot imagine having a better start for the European Road Safety Charter than this. I thank you very much for your commitment to road safety, which you have not only shown in the context of the European Road Safety Charter. Indeed, as we have noticed, Ireland is tackling this issue very aggressively and very successfully. I wish you all the best for your endeavour to achieve the target you have just announced.

Dear Ministers, I would like to thank you very much for attending this signing ceremony. You took the time and effort to make out of the first official signing ceremony a high profile event. For this campaign we need help. Making civil society aware of the European Road Safety Charter cannot only be achieved by the European Commission alone. By attending this ceremony, you have shown your commitment to road safety. I would also appreciate if you would take into consideration joining our campaign by organising similar events at a national level. We will heartily welcome any such initiative and will provide you with all the support we can.

Dear signatories, you are the central figures of today. I thank you very much for coming to Dublin. I want to express you my highest esteem for your willingness to be the first signatories of the European Road Safety Charter. You should know I highly appreciate your commitment to road safety and, in particular, to the Charter. But furthermore, I think that the fact that you have signed the Charter will make lots of other potential candidates think about doing the same.

That is why I am looking forward to 2010 with a very positive feeling. With such a commitment, we will achieve our target. Let's start now, there are 20.000 lives to save on our roads!