IP/07/371
Brussels, 21st march 2007
Digital tachograph for road transport: Commission sends reasoned opinion to Greece
The European Commission sent today a reasoned opinion – the last step before a formal complaint to the Court of Justice is lodged – to Greece for failure to respect European legislation on digital tachograph. The introduction of the digital tachograph aims to increase road safety and enforcement of driving times and rest periods.
EU Member States were required to implement the tachograph legislation from 1st May 2006[1]. Digital tachograph thus became mandatory for all new heavy goods vehicles and buses in the European Union. To date, Greece has still to establish the necessary legal and practical arrangements, including the issue of tachograph cards for drivers, companies, workshops and control officers.
The so-called digital tachograph is a recording equipment, installed in vehicles which are used in road transport under the provisions of the Council Regulation (EEC) No 3821/85. It records driving time, period of works, other periods of availability, breaks in work and daily rest periods of professional drivers, as well as vehicle speed and distance of the journey.
The digital tachograph is secure and easy to check and thus provides for a better enforcement of European and national rules on road transport. The introduction of the tachograph is a significant step forward in road transport, both in terms of safety on European roads, but also for professional drivers' working conditions.
[1] Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2006 on the harmonisation of certain social legislation relating to road transport, OJ L 102 of 11.4.2006.
