EU paves way for Safer Tunnels

Publication date: 26 February 2004

The EU Council of Ministers adopted today a common position on a draft Directive setting minimum harmonised safety requirements for tunnels in the Trans-European Road Network.  According to the Council, the Commission's approach is not flexible enough and it therefore recommends a more flexible system. This is also the approach the European Parliament recommended during its first reading of the proposal on 9 October 2003. The European Commission includes this in an amended draft Directive (COM (2004) 147 - COD (2002) 0309 plus Annex), which was adopted also today. The common position will be now sent to the European Parliament for a second reading under the codecision procedure.

ep_report_on_tunnels.pdf (315 KB)

com2004_147_tunnels.pdf (176 KB)

com2004_147_annex.pdf (184 KB)

Background:
The draft Directive proposes minimum safety requirements for tunnels in the Trans-European Road Network with lengths of over 500 m, whether they are in operation, under construction or at the design stage. It aims at preventing serious accidents that endanger human life and the environment, as well as damage to tunnel installations.

Initial proposal:
COM (2002) 0769 plus Annex, dated 30 December 2002

 com2002_769_1.pdf (101 KB)

com2002_769_annex.pdf (129 KB)