PARALLEL TEXTS
L’obbligo imposto dalla Polonia e dalla Lituania di spostare sulla sinistra il volante delle autovetture situato sulla destra viola il diritto dell’Unione
Inglese tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-14-37_en.htm
Italiano tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-14-37_it.htm
Data documento: 20-03-2014
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The obligation imposed by Poland and Lithuania to reposition the steering-wheel of right-hand drive passenger vehicles to the left-hand side infringes EU law
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L’obbligo imposto dalla Polonia e dalla Lituania di spostare sulla sinistra il volante delle autovetture situato sulla destra viola il diritto dell’Unione
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2 |
Such a measure goes beyond what is necessary in order to ensure road safety
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Una misura del genere eccede quanto necessario per garantire la sicurezza stradale
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Member States may not prohibit, restrict or impede the registration, sale, entry into service or circulation on the road of vehicles, components or separate technical units, on grounds related to either aspects of their construction and functioning or to their steering-equipment, where those aspects satisfy the requirements of Framework Directive 2007/46 and Directive 70/311.
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Gli Stati membri non possono vietare, limitare o impedire l’immatricolazione, la vendita o la messa in circolazione su strada di veicoli, componenti o entità tecniche per motivi connessi ad aspetti della loro costruzione e del loro funzionamento oppure ai loro dispositivi di sterzo, se questi aspetti rispondono alle prescrizioni della direttiva quadro 2007/46 e della direttiva 70/311 .
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4 |
In Poland and Lithuania, countries which drive on the right-hand side of the road, for the purpose of registration of a motor vehicle, the steering system must be placed on the left-hand side of the vehicle or be repositioned to that side if it was previously located on the right-hand side.
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In Polonia e in Lituania, paesi in cui la circolazione avviene sul lato destro della carreggiata, il sistema di sterzo deve, ai fini dell’immatricolazione di un veicolo, essere situato sul lato sinistro del veicolo, oppure essere spostato verso questo lato se, in precedenza, era collocato a destra.
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Since it considered that that condition infringes Directives 2007/46 and 70/311 with regard to new vehicles and EU rules concerning the free movement of goods with regard to vehicles previously registered in another Member State, the Commission brought actions before the Court of Justice against those two Member States.
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Ritenendo che tale requisito sia contrario alle direttive 2007/46 e 70/311 per quanto riguarda i veicoli nuovi, e alle norme del diritto dell’Unione in materia di libera circolazione delle merci per quanto riguarda i veicoli precedentemente immatricolati in un altro Stato membro, la Commissione ha proposto dinanzi alla Corte di giustizia ricorsi contro i due Stati membri summenzionati.
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In its judgments pronounced today, the Court of Justice holds first that, with regard to new vehicles, the aim of the harmonised framework established by those directives is the establishment and functioning of the internal market, while seeking to ensure a high level of road safety by means of the total harmonisation of technical requirements concerning, inter alia, the construction of vehicles.
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Nelle sue odierne sentenze, la Corte rileva anzitutto che, quanto ai veicoli nuovi, il quadro armonizzato istituito dalle suddette direttive è finalizzato all’instaurazione e al funzionamento del mercato interno, mirando nel contempo a garantire un elevato livello di sicurezza stradale assicurato dall’armonizzazione totale dei requisiti tecnici riguardanti, in particolare, la costruzione dei veicoli.
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Although those directives do not determine the position of the driver’s seat of a vehicle, by providing, for example, that it must always be placed on the side opposite the direction of the traffic, it does not follow, according to the Court, that that element does not come within the scope of the directives.
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Anche se tali direttive non determinano la collocazione del posto di guida di un veicolo, disponendo, ad esempio, che debba essere sempre situato sul lato opposto al senso di marcia, da ciò non consegue tuttavia, secondo la Corte, che questo elemento non rientri nel loro ambito di applicazione.
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It must be considered, in that regard, that the EU legislature granted a freedom to motor vehicle manufacturers that may not be cancelled or impeded by national legislation.
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Si deve considerare, in proposito, che il legislatore dell’Unione ha concesso una libertà ai costruttori di automobili che le normative nazionali non possono sopprimere o comprimere.
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9 |
The Court notes next that the prohibition of the refusal to register provided for by Directive 70/311 is categorical and general, since the terms ‘steering equipment’ covers also the driver’s seat, that is to say, the position of the steering-wheel of vehicles, an integral part of the steering equipment.
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La Corte sottolinea poi che il divieto di negare l’immatricolazione previsto dalla direttiva 70/311 è categorico e generale, e che i termini «dispositivi di sterzo» includono anche il posto di guida, ossia la collocazione del volante dei veicoli, in quanto parte integrante del dispositivo di sterzo.
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10 |
Since that prohibition was, in particular, inserted by the Act of Accession of Ireland and the United Kingdom to the European Communities – the only Member States at that time which drove on the left - it cannot reasonably be considered that the EU legislature was unaware of the fact that the accession of those Member States (one of which was a manufacturer of vehicles with their driver’s seat on the right-hand side) was liable, in an internal market involving the right to free movement, to have an effect on driving habits, even to involve a certain risk connected with road traffic.
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Poiché tale divieto è stato introdotto, in particolare, dall’Atto di adesione dell’Irlanda e del Regno Unito alle Comunità europee – gli unici Stati membri, all’epoca, in cui la circolazione stradale avveniva sul lato sinistro della carreggiata –, non si può ragionevolmente ritenere che il legislatore dell’Unione non fosse cosciente del fatto che l’adesione di tali Stati membri (uno dei quali era produttore di automobili dotate di posti di guida a destra) potesse, in un regime di mercato interno che implicava un diritto di libera circolazione, influire sulle abitudini di guida, o addirittura comportare un certo rischio legato alla circolazione stradale.
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11 |
The Court considers that adaptations that may be required may not relate to the repositioning of the driver’s seat, but solely to procedures having a minimal impact.
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La Corte ritiene che gli adeguamenti che possono essere prescritti non possano riguardare lo spostamento del posto di guida, ma solamente interventi di minore portata.
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Such an extensive requirement would amount to a procedure having a significant impact on the design of the vehicle, contrary to the wording and purpose of Directive 70/311.
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Una prescrizione così ampia, infatti, costituirebbe un intervento sostanziale sull’architettura costruttiva del veicolo contrario alla lettera e alla finalità della direttiva 70/311.
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Consequently, the Court holds that the position of the driver’s seat, an integral part of the steering equipment of a vehicle, comes within the harmonisation established by Directives 2007/46 and 70/311, so that, in the context of the registration of a new vehicle in their territory, the Member States may not require, for reasons of safety, that the driver’s seat of that vehicle be moved to the side opposite the direction of the traffic.
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Di conseguenza, la Corte dichiara che la collocazione del posto di guida, in quanto parte integrante del dispositivo di sterzo di un veicolo, rientra nell’armonizzazione istituita dalle direttive 2007/46 e 70/311, ragion per cui, nell’ambito dell’immatricolazione di un veicolo nuovo sul loro territorio, gli Stati membri non possono esigere che, per ragioni di sicurezza, il posto di guida del medesimo venga spostato verso il lato opposto al senso di marcia.
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Next, with regard to passenger vehicles previously registered in another Member State with the driver’s seat on the right-hand side, the Court considers that the contested legislation constitutes measures having equivalent effect to quantitative restrictions on imports, such measures being prohibited by the Treaty.
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Con riferimento, poi, alle autovetture precedentemente immatricolate in un altro Stato membro ed il cui posto di guida è situato sul lato destro, la Corte afferma che le normative controverse costituiscono misure di effetto equivalente a restrizioni quantitative all’importazione, vietate dal Trattato.
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Those measures have the effect of hindering access to the Polish and Lithuanian markets for vehicles with steering equipment on the right, which are lawfully constructed and registered in other Member States.
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Infatti, dette normative hanno per effetto di ostacolare l’accesso ai mercati polacco e lituano dei veicoli dotati di posto di guida a destra e legalmente prodotti e immatricolati in altri Stati membri.
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16 |
The Court examines the argument of Poland and Lithuania that the legislation of those States is justified by the need to ensure road safety, the latter constituting an imperative requirement relating to the public interest capable of justifying a hindrance to the free movement of goods.
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La Corte esamina poil’argomento della Polonia e della Lituania secondo cui le normative di tali Stati sono giustificate dalla necessità di garantire la sicurezza stradale, che costituisce un motivo imperativo di interesse generale tale da giustificare un ostacolo alla libera circolazione delle merci.
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It notes in that regard that the legislation at issue provides for exceptions with regard to the use of vehicles equipped with a steering-wheel on the right by people who reside in other Member States, and travel to Poland and Lithuania for a limited period (for example, tourists).
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Essa osserva, in proposito, che le normative in questione prevedono eccezioni per quanto riguarda l’uso di veicoli dotati di volante a destra da parte di persone residenti in altri Stati membri e che si recano in Polonia e in Lituania per un periodo limitato (ad esempio turisti).
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That fact shows, according to the Court, that the contested legislation tolerates the risk involved in such use.
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Tale circostanza dimostra, secondo la Corte, che le normative controverse tollerano il rischio derivante da una circolazione siffatta.
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In addition, the statistical data relied on by the Polish and Lithuanian Governments do not prove to the requisite legal standard the relationship between the number of accidents and the involvement of vehicles with the driver’s seat situated on the right.
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Peraltro, i dati statistici prodotti dal governo polacco e lituano non dimostrano in misura sufficiente che vi sia un rapporto tra il numero di incidenti e il coinvolgimento di veicoli con posto di guida situato a destra.
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20 |
The Court holds that there exist means and measures that, while less restrictive of the free movement of goods, are capable of significantly reducing the risk which could be created by the use of vehicles with the steering-wheel placed on the same side as the direction of the traffic.
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La Corte rileva che esistono mezzi e misure che, pur essendo meno lesivi della libertà di circolazione delle merci, risultano idonei a ridurre considerevolmente il rischio che può comportare la circolazione di veicoli con volante collocato nello stesso lato del senso di marcia.
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It points out that the Member States enjoy in that regard discretion allowing them to impose measures capable, according to the state of technology, of ensuring sufficient rear and forward visibility for the driver of the vehicle with the steering-wheel positioned on the same side as the direction of the traffic (examples: fixing additional external rear-view mirrors or the adaptation of lighting and windscreen-wiping devices).
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Essa precisa che gli Stati membri dispongono a tale riguardo di un ampio margine discrezionale che consente loro di imporre misure idonee, secondo lo stato della tecnica, a garantire visibilità sufficiente, tanto posteriore quanto anteriore, al conducente di un veicolo con volante situato nello stesso lato del senso di marcia (ad esempio, l’installazione di retrovisori esterni supplementari o l’adeguamento dei dispositivi di illuminazione e dei tergicristalli).
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According to the Court, it does not appear that the measures at issue may be considered to be necessary in order to attain the road safety objective pursued by Poland and Lithuania.
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Secondo la Corte, non risulta che le misure contestate possano essere considerate necessarie al fine di conseguire l’obiettivo di sicurezza stradale perseguito dalla Polonia e dalla Lituania.
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The Court considers therefore that those measures are not compatible with the principle of proportionality.
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La Corte dichiara quindi che esse non sono compatibili con il principio di proporzionalità.
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The Court concludes therefore that Poland and Lithuania have infringed EU law.
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La Corte ne trae la conclusione che la Polonia e la Lituania hanno violato il diritto dell’Unione.
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NOTE:
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IMPORTANTE:
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An action for failure to fulfil obligations directed against a Member State which has failed to comply with its obligations under European Union law may be brought by the Commission or by another Member State.
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La Commissione o un altro Stato membro possono proporre un ricorso per inadempimento diretto contro uno Stato membro che è venuto meno ai propri obblighi derivanti dal diritto dell’Unione.
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If the Court of Justice finds that there has been a failure to fulfil obligations, the Member State concerned must comply with the Court’s judgment without delay.
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Qualora la Corte di giustizia accerti l’inadempimento, lo Stato membro interessato deve conformarsi alla sentenza senza indugio.
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Where the Commission considers that the Member State has not complied with the judgment, it may bring a further action seeking financial penalties.
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La Commissione, qualora ritenga che lo Stato membro non si sia conformato alla sentenza, può proporre un altro ricorso chiedendo sanzioni pecuniarie.
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However, if measures transposing a directive have not been notified to the Commission, the Court of Justice can, on a proposal from the Commission, impose penalties at the stage of the initial judgment.
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Tuttavia, in caso di mancata comunicazione delle misure di attuazione di una direttiva alla Commissione, su domanda di quest’ultima, la Corte di giustizia può infliggere sanzioni pecuniarie, al momento della prima sentenza. |
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LISTEN WITH READSPEAKER
•
The obligation imposed by Poland and Lithuania to reposition the
steering-wheel of right-hand drive passenger vehicles to the left-hand side
infringes EU law
Such a measure goes beyond what is necessary in order to ensure road safety
Member States may not prohibit, restrict or impede the registration, sale,
entry into service or circulation on the road of vehicles, components or
separate technical units, on grounds related to either aspects of their
construction and functioning or to their steering-equipment, where those aspects
satisfy the requirements of Framework Directive 2007/46 and Directive 70/311.
In Poland and Lithuania, countries which drive on the right-hand side of the
road, for the purpose of registration of a motor vehicle, the steering system
must be placed on the left-hand side of the vehicle or be repositioned to that
side if it was previously located on the right-hand side.
Since it considered that that condition infringes Directives 2007/46 and
70/311 with regard to new vehicles and EU rules concerning the free movement of
goods with regard to vehicles previously registered in another Member State, the
Commission brought actions before the Court of Justice against those two Member
States.
In its judgments pronounced today, the Court of Justice holds first that,
with regard to new vehicles, the aim of the harmonised framework established by
those directives is the establishment and functioning of the internal market,
while seeking to ensure a high level of road safety by means of the total
harmonisation of technical requirements concerning, inter alia, the construction
of vehicles.
Although those directives do not determine the position of the driver’s seat
of a vehicle, by providing, for example, that it must always be placed on the
side opposite the direction of the traffic, it does not follow, according to the
Court, that that element does not come within the scope of the directives.
It must be considered, in that regard, that the EU legislature granted a
freedom to motor vehicle manufacturers that may not be cancelled or impeded by
national legislation.
The Court notes next that the prohibition of the refusal to register provided
for by Directive 70/311 is categorical and general, since the terms ‘steering
equipment’ covers also the driver’s seat, that is to say, the position of the
steering-wheel of vehicles, an integral part of the steering equipment.
Since that prohibition was, in particular, inserted by the Act of Accession
of Ireland and the United Kingdom to the European Communities – the only Member
States at that time which drove on the left - it cannot reasonably be considered
that the EU legislature was unaware of the fact that the accession of those
Member States (one of which was a manufacturer of vehicles with their driver’s
seat on the right-hand side) was liable, in an internal market involving the
right to free movement, to have an effect on driving habits, even to involve a
certain risk connected with road traffic.
The Court considers that adaptations that may be required may not relate to
the repositioning of the driver’s seat, but solely to procedures having a
minimal impact.
Such an extensive requirement would amount to a procedure having a
significant impact on the design of the vehicle, contrary to the wording and
purpose of Directive 70/311.
Consequently, the Court holds that the position of the driver’s seat, an
integral part of the steering equipment of a vehicle, comes within the
harmonisation established by Directives 2007/46 and 70/311, so that, in the
context of the registration of a new vehicle in their territory, the Member
States may not require, for reasons of safety, that the driver’s seat of that
vehicle be moved to the side opposite the direction of the traffic.
Next, with regard to passenger vehicles previously registered in another
Member State with the driver’s seat on the right-hand side, the Court considers
that the contested legislation constitutes measures having equivalent effect to
quantitative restrictions on imports, such measures being prohibited by the
Treaty.
Those measures have the effect of hindering access to the Polish and
Lithuanian markets for vehicles with steering equipment on the right, which are
lawfully constructed and registered in other Member States.
The Court examines the argument of Poland and Lithuania that the legislation
of those States is justified by the need to ensure road safety, the latter
constituting an imperative requirement relating to the public interest capable
of justifying a hindrance to the free movement of goods.
It notes in that regard that the legislation at issue provides for exceptions
with regard to the use of vehicles equipped with a steering-wheel on the right
by people who reside in other Member States, and travel to Poland and Lithuania
for a limited period (for example, tourists).
That fact shows, according to the Court, that the contested legislation
tolerates the risk involved in such use.
In addition, the statistical data relied on by the Polish and Lithuanian
Governments do not prove to the requisite legal standard the relationship
between the number of accidents and the involvement of vehicles with the
driver’s seat situated on the right.
The Court holds that there exist means and measures that, while less
restrictive of the free movement of goods, are capable of significantly reducing
the risk which could be created by the use of vehicles with the steering-wheel
placed on the same side as the direction of the traffic.
It points out that the Member States enjoy in that regard discretion allowing
them to impose measures capable, according to the state of technology, of
ensuring sufficient rear and forward visibility for the driver of the vehicle
with the steering-wheel positioned on the same side as the direction of the
traffic (examples: fixing additional external rear-view mirrors or the
adaptation of lighting and windscreen-wiping devices).
According to the Court, it does not appear that the measures at issue may be
considered to be necessary in order to attain the road safety objective pursued
by Poland and Lithuania.
The Court considers therefore that those measures are not compatible with the
principle of proportionality.
The Court concludes therefore that Poland and Lithuania have infringed EU
law.
NOTE:
An action for failure to fulfil obligations directed against a Member State
which has failed to comply with its obligations under European Union law may be
brought by the Commission or by another Member State.
If the Court of Justice finds that there has been a failure to fulfil
obligations, the Member State concerned must comply with the Court’s judgment
without delay.
Where the Commission considers that the Member State has not complied with
the judgment, it may bring a further action seeking financial penalties.
However, if measures transposing a directive have not been notified to the
Commission, the Court of Justice can, on a proposal from the Commission, impose
penalties at the stage of the initial judgment.
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