9.10.98 Official Journal of the European Communities L 274/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 2135/98 of 24 September 1998 amending Regulation (EEC) No 3821/85 on recording equipment in road transport and Directive 88/599/EEC concerning the application of Regulations (EEC) No 3820/84 and (EEC) No 3821/85 THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 75(1)(c) and (d) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 189c of the Teaty (3), (1)  Whereas Council Regulation (EEC) No 3821/85 of 20 December 1985 on recording equipment in road transport (*) lays down provisions concerning the construction, installation, use and testing of recording equipment in road transport; (2)  Whereas experience has shown that the economic pressures and competition in road transport have led some drivers employed by road haulage companies to flout certain rules, particularly those concerning the driving and rest times laid down in (1) OJ C 243, 31.8.1994, p. 8 and OJ C 370, 31.12.198S, p- 1. () OJ C 110, 21.4.1995, p. 19. (%) Opinion of the European Parliament of 13 July 1995 (O] C 249, 25.9.1995, p. 128), Council Common Position of 11 December 1997 (O] C 43, 9.2.1998, p. 6) and Decision of the European Parliament of 31 March 1998 (O] C 138, 4.5.1998, p. 26). OJ L 370, 31.12.1985, p. 8. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1056/97 (O] L 154, 12.6.1997, p. 21). S Council Regulation (EEC) No 3820/85 of 20 December 1985 on the harmonisaton of certain social legislation relating to road transport (°); (3)  Whereas blatant infringements and fraud present a road safety hazard and are unacceptable for reasons of competition for the individual driver who does respect the rules; (4)  Whereas road safety would be improved by the automatic recording and regular monitoring, both by the undertaking and by the competent authorities, of details of the driver’s performance and behaviour and of the vehicle’s journey, such as speed and distance covered; (5) Whereas Community social regulations contain certain requirements for limits on the daily driving and rest time and also for the total driving and rest time, for up to two weeks; whereas it is difficult to monitor compliance with these requirements given that data are recorded on several daily record sheets, out of which the record sheets for the current week and the last day of the previous week are to be stored in the cab; (6)  Whereas, to put an end to the most common abuses of the present system, it is therefore necessary to introduce new advanced equipment such as recording equipment fitted with an electronic device for storing relevant information and a personal driver card, so ensuring that the data recorded are retrievable, intelligible when printed out, and reliable, and that they provide an () OJ L 370, 31.12.1985, p. 1.