COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 17 June 1997 on the development of telematics in road transport, in particular with respect to electronic fee collection (97/C 194/03)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(1) Having regard to Council resolution 94/C 309/01 of 24 October 1994 on telematics in the transport sector (1), the Commission communication of 4 November 1994 on telematics in the transport sector and Council resolution 95/C 264/01 of 28 September 1995 on the deployment of telematics in the road transport sector (2),

(2) Having regard to Decision 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of a trans-European transport network (3),

(3) Having regard to the Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 May 1997 on a series of guidelines for trans-European telecommunications networks,

(4) Having regard to Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (4),

(5) Having regard to Council resolution 96/C 376/01 of 21 November 1996 on new policy-priorities regarding the information society (5), which recognizes the importance of technical harmonization for the development of the global information society,

(6) Having regard to Council Decision 94/801/EC of 23 November 1994 adopting a specific programme for research and technological development, including demonstration in the field of telematics applications of common interest (1994 to 1998) (6) and Council Decsion 94/914/EC of 15 December 1994 adopting a specific programme for research and technological development, including demonstration in the field of transport (1994 to 1998) (7),

(7) Whereas the deployment of telematics can contribute to sustainable mobility of persons and goods;

(8) Whereas road transport telematics can contribute to the development of efficient, safe and environmentally-sound road transport services, create market opportunities for European industry and strengthen its competitive base;

(9) Whereas the full potential of road transport telematics will only be realized at the European level, if the systems and applications introduced achieve an appropriate level of interoperability and ensure continuity of services to the user;

(10) Whereas Article 129c of the Treaty, which covers the establishment and development of trans-European networks, provides that Member States shall, in liason with the Commission, coordinate among themselves the policies pursued at national level which may have a significant impact on the objectives of achieving the internal market and strengthening economic and social cohesion;

(11) Whereas decisions on whether to introduce electronic fee collection (EFC) are a matter for individual Member States;

(12) Whereas an appropriate level of interoperability between EFC systems in the Community must be achieved so as to provide an optimum service to the user, in reasonable economic conditions and without creating any unnecessary bureaucracy;

(13) Whereas EFC systems have been successfully developed and introduced in some Member States;

(14) Whereas Member States introducing new EFC systems should seek to achieve an appropriate level of interoperability between those systems;

(15) Whereas a strategy is needed for the convergence, within a reasonable time, of EFC systems to achieve interoperability at a European level, taking into account existing systems and know-how, as well as the work in the European standardization bodies;

(16) Whereas in resolution 95/C 264/01, the Council requested the European standardization bodies to cover all technical aspects of short-range communications and to extend them to methods of transmission by mobile telephone and by satellite,

I

1. NOTES with satisfaction the work in progress by the Commission with the help of a working party of high level representatives appointed by the Member States on the preparation of a strategy and action plan for the deployment of road transport telematics;

2. RECOGNIZES the important role which the private sector will need to play in the deployment of road transport telematics;

II

1. RECALLS its request in resolution 95/C 264/01 to the Commission and the Member States to speed up their work on the interoperability of electronic toll systems at a European level on the trans-European road network, and to examine the problems of convergence with existing systems;

2. CALLS on Member States and the Commission:

- to have due regard to the need to achieve interoperability in the development and implementation of EFC systems, and

- to develop a strategy for the convergence of EFC systems in order to achieve an appropriate level of interoperability at a European level, taking into account systems already existing and the work in the European standardization bodies;

3. REQUESTS the European standardization bodies to contribute to the development of this strategy, by the definition of technical standards and specifications for interoperable EFC systems at a European level which will enable multilane operations and the introduction of additional telematics services using the same technology. The objective being to adopt these standards within three years at the latest;

4. NOTES the intention of Member States introducing new EFC systems using dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), as a first step, to base these systems on the work within the framework of CEN, in full compliance with paragraph II (5);

5. CALLS on Member States, when replacing, upgrading or introducing EFC systems, to do so in accordance with the strategy for convergence of all EFC systems;

6. CALLS on the Commission and Member States to accelerate work to identify and remove other obstacles to interoperability of EFC systems, including work in CARDME (concerted action for research on demand management in Europe) and MOVE IT (motorway operators validate EFC for interoperable transport) on legal and other institutional issues;

7. CALLS on Member States to propose and participate in real-life pilot projects to test various functions of EFC systems, on the basis of technical pre-standards, taking into account the results of current and proposed research, technological development & demonstration (RTD& D) projects and actions in Member States. Such projects should seek to confirm the performance of EFC systems, particularly across borders, as qell as addressing legal, organizational and institutional issues;

III

1. NOTES the Commission's intention to put forward, in the near future, a strategy and action plan for the deployment of road transport telematics, which is being prepared with the assistance of a working party of high level representatives appointed by the Member States. In addition to EFC, the action plan will focus on other road transport telematics applications, in particular RDS/TMC (radio data system/traffic message channel), transport data exchange and information management, the human machine interface and systems architecture, with a view to early discussion in the Council;

2. CALLS on Member States to propose and participate in projects to validate and/or implement road transport telematics solutions to transport problems, taking into account the results of current and proposed RTD& D projects and actions in Member States and to encourage, by way of these projects, active participation of the private sector in the deployment of road transport telematics;

3. CALLS on Member States, the Commission and other key players to promote the introduction of RDS/TMC and transport data exchange/information management services, including the speedy provision of RDS/TMC receivers with language modules for all languages of the Member States;

4. INVITES the Commission, in consultation with the Member States and industry, to put forward a code of practice on the human machine interface, covering in particular in-vehicle information devices;

5. CALLS on the Commission and Member States to take action to promote the acceleration of the standardization process on the basis of a general strategy and promote the framework for the deployment of telematics applications for road transport, taking into account the views of industry and users;

6. INVITES the Commission and Member States to take into account the need for RTD& D actions to support road transport telematics applications, including the upgrading of existing systems.

(1) OJ No C 309, 5. 11. 1994, p. 1.

(2) OJ No C 264, 11. 10. 1995, p. 1.

(3) OJ No L 228, 9. 9. 1996, p. 1 and OJ No L 15, 17. 1. 1997, p. 1.

(4) OJ No L 281, 23. 11. 1995, p. 31.

(5) OJ No C 376, 12. 12. 1996, p. 1.

(6) OJ No L 334, 22. 12. 1994, p. 1.

(7) OJ No L 361, 31. 12. 1994, p. 56.