Antitrust: Commission fines five car safety equipment suppliers € 34 million in cartel settlement // Brussels, 22 November 2017

8. Notes that the sector of the manufacture of safety glass for the automotive industry has undergone serious economic disruption as a result of several factors, such as a decrease in the production of automotive safety glass in the Union, an increase in the market shares of competitors from non-Member States and an increase in imports of these products into the Union; notes that SGS Benelux's activities were closely linked to production trends in the automotive industry, which saw the production of passenger cars decrease from 21,9 ...[+++]million units to 19,5 million units between 2007 and 2012, whereas, in the rest of the world, it increased from 47,5 million units to 60,6 million units during the same period; observes moreover that there has been a general trend by manufacturers and suppliers in the automotive industry to transfer production within the Union, from Western Europe (in particular, France, Belgium and Spain) to Eastern Europe;

8. Notes that the sector of the manufacture of safety glass for the automotive industry has undergone serious economic disruption as a result of several factors, such as a decrease in the production of automotive safety glass in the Union, an increase in the market shares of competitors from non-Member States and an increase in imports of these products into the Union; notes that SGS Benelux's activities were closely linked to production trends in the automotive industry, which saw the production of passenger cars decrease from 21,9 ...[+++]million units to 19,5 million units between 2007 and 2012, whereas, in the rest of the world, it increased from 47,5 million units to 60,6 million units during the same period; observes moreover that there has been a general trend by manufacturers and suppliers in the automotive industry to transfer production within the Union, from Western Europe (in particular, France, Belgium and Spain) to Eastern Europe;

14. Fears that the objective of the Commission to continue promoting effective competition in the motor vehicles aftermarket by addressing consumer choice and effective access for independent market operators could not be reached through this reform; agrees with the Commission that competitive conditions in the motor vehicle aftermarket have also a direct consequence on public safety;

19. Is worried about the safety of those vulnerable road users; including young people, for whom the death rate is particularly high; notes that the risk of death in motorcycle or moped travel is 17 times higher than in car travel and that walking or cycling is up to nine times riskier; stresses that safety needs to be significantly improved not only for car occupants but also for vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists; highlights the need to focus on road safety education, legislation and control measures on higher-risk groups through a more holistic approach; calls on the Commission to propose effective measures to ensure that all vulnerable road users benefit from maximum protection - such as hazard w ...[+++]arning lights for the safety of two-wheeled vehicles; maintains that all road users should be made aware of the risks and of ways to reduce them; welcomes the EU-funded New Programme for the Assessment of Child Seats (NPACS) that establishes harmonised test and rating protocols; calls on the Commission to investigate whether child safety could be given higher priority in the Community road safety policy, whether extra attention to pedestrian safety could be brought to bear in European New Car Assessment Programme (EuroNCAP) crash tests and in the introduction of the second phase of Directive 2003/102/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 November 2003 relating to the protection of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users before and in the event of a collision with a motor vehicle and amending Council Directive 70/156/EEC ;

17. Is worried about the safety of those vulnerable road users; including young people, for whom the death rate is particularly high; notes that the risk of death in motorcycle or moped travel is 17 times higher than in car travel and that walking or cycling is up to nine times riskier; stresses that safety needs to be significantly improved not only for car occupants but also for weaker road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists; highlights the need to focus on road safety education, legislation and control measures on higher-risk groups through a more holistic approach; calls on the Commission to propose effective measures to ensure that all vulnerable road users benefit from maximum protection - such as hazard warnin ...[+++]g lights for the safety of two-wheeled vehicles; maintains that all road users should be made aware of the risks and of ways to reduce them; welcomes the EU- funded New Programme for the Assessment of Child Seats (NPACS) that establishes harmonised test and rating protocols; calls on the European Commission to investigate whether child safety could be given higher priority in the Community road safety policy, whether extra attention to pedestrian safety could be brought to bear in Euro NCAP crash tests and in the introduction of the second phase of the directive on pedestrian safety;