Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001123/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Tom Berendsen (PPE)
An offence is an offence – no matter who commits it. It is great that open borders make it possible to visit European cities easily, but those same open borders must not be a barrier to holding road traffic offenders from abroad to account.
In Amsterdam, at present, parking charges and fines are paid by less than half of motorists from countries with which the Netherlands has concluded agreements in this specific area and by 19% of motorists from countries with which there are no such agreements. The municipality is missing out on a total of EUR 10.3 million in parking charges and EUR 4 million in fines. The problem is a lack of leverage with which to force non-payers to pay up and a lack of effective European agreements in this area. That must change.
Accordingly:
- 1.In the Commission’s view, what barriers within the current system can be removed in the short term so that foreign motorists can no longer ignore their parking charges and fines without facing consequences?
- 2.Is the Commission prepared to conclude European agreements so that non-payers and road traffic offenders can no longer evade their fines? Within what timeframe could those agreements be concluded?
Submitted: 17.3.2025