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Welcome to the January edition of the SPARKS Programme online newsletter, which highlights issues impacting enforcement of decriminalised penalty charge notices in the UK and other EU member states.
In this issue we focus on the Eurosparks project and the seminar programme that has been running since the autumn. We hope you find the contents interesting and useful to you in your job. There is still time to book places at the final Eurosparks seminar in Brussels on 24 January. You’ll be networking with European Commission officials and delegates from municipality associations across Europe, plus contributing to discussions about traffic law enforcement against vehicles registered in other member states. Speakers include Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, Richard Kitchen, DVLA director, Salla Saastamoinen, DG Justice, Nick Lester, London Councils director, and Prof Patrick Birkinshaw, Hull University. Full details of the seminar and registration Towards a European solution for cross-border civil traffic enforcement organised by VVSG the Flemish municipalities association. French concerned about enforcement against foreign vehicles Lively debate at the Eurosparks Paris Seminar on 18 December confirmed enforcement against foreign vehicles is an issue in France, even though traffic and parking laws have not yet been decriminalised. Seminar delegates called for national laws to be changed so French local authorities can control parking enforcement and the local parking environment. Highlights of Eurosparks Paris Seminar UK transport industry supports Eurosparks calls for new EU legislation London seminar delegates endorse Eurosparks calls for new EU legislation to improve cross-border traffic enforcement, but raise concerns about how national governments and local authorities will make new legislation work in practice. Delegates were concerned about implementation and raised a number of specific issues including human rights, payment processes and implementation of the EC Reform Treaty. Highlights of Eurosparks London Seminar Maltese support call for new EU legislation Malta’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minster for Justice & Home Affairs opened Eurosparks’ seminar in Valetta on 23 November, taking an active interest in discussions and supporting Eurosparks calls for new EU-wide legislation to improve compliance with local traffic laws. Highlights of Eurosparks Malta seminar Germans interested in safe and non-polluting traffic control German municipalities and federal states are very interested in implementing traffic laws that can be applied to all drivers regardless of nationality, a significant change to the beginning of 2007 according to delegates at Eurosparks Berlin seminar of 15 November. Highlights of Eurosparks Berlin seminar The SPARKS Programme is an initiative that enables local authorities in the UK and EU member states to collaborate in resolving the issue of cross-border enforcement of civil traffic contraventions. It wants enforcement of traffic regulations to be equally effective against all vehicles irrespective of nationality. Aims include identifying legislative solutions, increasing awareness of the issues within government, working with local authorities to seek common solutions and gathering data to build a coherent picture of the size and impact of the issue. Find out more about SPARKS The SPARKS Programme works hard to ensure that information on these websites is up-to-date and accurate and that applications function correctly. We provide the service under terms and conditions available here The SPARKS Programme will treat any personal information that you provide to us in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998. We welcome your views on this ezine, which should be addressed to the editor Jo Ann Sweeney at jo.ann@sweeneyuk.com |
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 www.sparksproject.org |
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