The plan approved by Parliament's Transport Committee foresee a closer cooperation between European police forces in the road. They will be able to pursue offenders in their home country by using the EUROCARIS data exchange system.

MEPs stressed during the debate held in the Transport Committee ahead of the vote that harmonising basic traffic rules and setting common standards for sanctions and enforcement procedures in future would help further reduce the death toll on Europe's roads. Among the offences covered by the legislation, there will be speeding, driving under the influence of drink or drugs, failure to wear seatbelt, illegal use of mobile phones, using bus lanes, not wearing helmets when riding a motorcycle and crossing red lights. In this context, the Commission approved last year the strategic guidelines on European road safety policy for the period 2011-20.

The report was adopted by large majority, paving the way for a second reading agreement with Council. However, the UK and Ireland have decided not to opt in to the system and that Denmark is entitled to opt out, because the Council changed the legal basis of the directive from "transport" to "police cooperation" at first reading. The vote in plenary is foreseen in July 2011 and the directive will enter into force at the latest two years after adoption and will be subject to close monitoring and assessment by the European Commission.