13.3.2015 Official Journal of the European Union L 68/9 DIRECTIVE (EU) 201 5/413 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 March 2015 facilitating cross-border exchange of information on road-safety-related traffic offences (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 91(1)(c) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (}), After consulting the Committee of the Regions, Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (%), Whereas: (1)  Improving road safety is a prime objective of the Union’s transport policy. The Union is pursuing a policy to improve road safety with the objective of reducing fatalities, injuries and material damage. An important element of that policy is the consistent enforcement of sanctions for road traffic offences committed in the Union which considerably jeopardise road safety. (2)  However, due to a lack of appropriate procedures and notwithstanding existing possibilities under Council Decision 2008/615/JHA (}) and Council Decision 2008/616/JHA (*) (the ‘Priim Decisions’), sanctions in the form of financial penalties for certain road traffic offences are often not enforced if those offences are committed with a vehicle which is registered in a Member State other than the Member State where the offence took place. This Directive aims to ensure that even in such cases, the effectiveness of the investigation of road-safety-related traffic offences should be ensured. (3)  In its communication of 20 July 2010 entitled ‘Towards a European road safety area: policy orientations on road safety 2011-2020", the Commission emphasised that enforcement of road traffic rules remains a key factor in creating the conditions for a considerable reduction in the number of deaths and injuries. In its conclusions of 2 December 2010 on road safety, the Council called for consideration of the need for further strengthening of enforcement of road traffic rules by Member States and, where appropriate, at Union level. It invited the Commission to examine the possibilities of harmonising traffic rules at Union level where appropriate and adopting further measures on facilitating cross-border enforcement with regard to road traffic offences, in particular those related to serious traffic accidents. (4)  On 19 March 2008, the Commission adopted a proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council facilitating cross-border enforcement in the field of road safety on the basis of Article 71(1)(c) of the Treaty establishing the European Community (now Article 91 of Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)). Directive 2011/82/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (°) was, however, adopted on the basis of Article 87(2) TFEU. The judgment of the Court of Justice of 6 May 2014 in Case C-43/12 () annulled Directive 2011/82/EU on the grounds that it could not validly be adopted on the basis of Article 87(2) () 0JC12,15.1.2015,p. 115. (}) Position of the European Parliament of 11 February 2015 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and Decision of the Council of 2 March 2015. (*) Council Decision 2008/615/JHA of 23 June 2008 on the stepping up of cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border crime (O] L 210, 6.8.2008, p. 1). (*) Council Decision 2008/616/JHA of 23 June 2008 on the implementation of Decision 2008/615/JHA on the stepping up of cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border crime (OJ L 210, 6.8.2008, p. 12). () Directive 2011/82[EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 facilitating the cross-border exchange of information on road safety related traffic offences (OJ L 288, 5.11.2011, p. 1). (®) Judgment in Commission v Parliament and Council, C-43/12, EU:C:2014:298.