RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL AND OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL

of 21 June 1991

on a Community programme of action on road safety

(91/C 178/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL,

Having regard to the European Parliament's resolution of 13 March 1984 on the introduction of a programme of Community measures to promote road safety (1) and the resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States of the European Communities, meeting within the Council, of 19 December 1984 (2) relating in particular to 1986 as Road Safety Year in the Community,

Having regard to the European Parliament's 1987 report on Road Safety Year,

Having regard to the Commission communication to the Council of 9 January 1989 entitled 'Road safety: a priority for the Community`,

Whereas road traffic must be expected to increase, in particular following the completion of the internal market in 1992;

Whereas the human suffering and the social cost of road accidents that each year cause more than 50 000 deaths and more than 1 500 000 injuries are unacceptable not only from the moral and political but also from the economic and social points of view;

Whereas, in this situation, a special effort must be made to improve road safety in all sectors pertinent to the prevention of road accidents, including vehicle manufacture and equipment;

Whereas action should be taken at Community level to intensify national measures, where joint action is likely to be more effective than measures taken on an individual, uncoordinated basis by the Member States,

REAFFIRM the importance of improving transport safety, particularly road safety;

REQUEST the Commission to draw up and implement a Community programme of practical measures designed to put into effect new common initiatives and compare existing national experience in the different fields of action and research in the campaign against road accidents and the consequences for the victims of such accidents;

REQUEST the Commission to form a high-level working party of representatives of the Governments of the Member States to define the objectives of, and the detailed arrangements for implementing, this programme, taking into account previous measures and studies as well as initiatives currently being carried out in this area;

CONSIDER that such a working party should undertake a cost-benefit analysis of the measures to be included in the programme;

REQUEST the Commission to submit a report to the Council by December 1991, accompanied, if appropriate, by initial proposals for the implementation of the programme from 1992.

(1) OJ No C 104, 16. 4. 1984, p. 38.

(2) OJ No C 341, 21. 12. 1984, p. 1.