EU moves to make speeding and parking fines Europe-wide

In February the EU council of ministers, the main decision-making body, formally adopted a decision to remove protection for drivers who commit traffic violations abroad. As a result, legislation is being drafted in Brussels for incorporation into national laws as early as 2007.

Parking and speed-camera fines higher than €70 (£48) will be passed to authorities in drivers’ home countries where, if they are not paid, prosecution will follow. The effect could be profound. French police estimate that a quarter of speed offences in their country are carried out by foreign motorists.

A spokesman for the Gendarmerie Nationale said that, because traffic fines are not currently enforceable in UK courts, it did not bother finding out addresses through the DVLA and sending tickets to UK addresses.

The new legislation is being worked out by representatives of police forces, motoring groups and vehicle licensing agencies. It could create a new bureaucracy to administer the transfer of international fines, according to Bert Morris of the AA Motoring Trust, who is a member of a working group dealing with the new law.

One central body in each EU country would be set up to liaise with its counterparts over penalties. In Britain, for instance, speed camera organisations and police forces issue their own fines. In future they would contact a national agency, which could be part of the DVLA, to pursue a fine against, say, a French motorist.

The British agency would contact its French counterpart and a fine would be issued on a standardised European penalty form.

If the French driver paid, the money would be transferred minus processing fees via the French and UK agencies to the speed camera company, police force or the Exchequer. A British driver who committed an offence on the Continent would similarly receive a fine via the UK agency on the EU penalty form.

One issue yet to be resolved concerns appeals. Brussels has not decided whether appeals should be made in the country where the offence was committed or the country of residence. Another issue on which there is no agreement yet is licence penalty points.