5.11.2011 Official Journal of the European Union L 288/1 (Legislative acts) | DIRECTIVES 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 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 87(2) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (1), Whereas: 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. However, due to a lack of appropriate procedures and notwithstanding  existing possibilities under 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 () and Council Decision 2008/616/JHA of 23 June 2008 on the implementation of Decision 2008/615/JHA (*) (the '"Pritm 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 (1) Position of the European Parliament of 17 December 2008 (O] C 45 E, 23.2.2010, p. 149) and position of the Council at first reading of 17 March 2011 (O] C 136 E, 6.5.2011, p. 1). Position of the European Parliament of 6 July 2011 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council of 29 September 2011. () O] L 210, 6.8.2008, p. 1. () O] L 210, 6.8.2008, p. 12. 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. The Commission, in its Communication of 20 July 2010 entitled 'Towards a European road safety area: policy orientations on road safety 2011-2020', emphasised that enforcement remains a key factor in creating the conditions for a considerable reduction in the number of deaths and injuries. The Council, in its conclusions of 2 December 2010 on road safety, called also 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. The Commission should therefore assess the need to propose in the future further measures on facilitating cross-border enforcement with regard to road traffic offences, in particular those related to serious traffic accidents. Greater convergence of control measures between Member States should also be encouraged and the Commission should examine in this respect the need for developing common standards for automatic checking equipment for road safety controls. The awareness of Union citizens should be raised as regards the road safety traffic rules in force in different Member States and as regards the implementation of this Directive, in particular through appropriate measures guaranteeing the provision of sufficient information on the consequences of not respecting the road safety traffic rules when travelling in a Member State other than the Member State of registration. In order to improve road safety throughout the Union and to ensure equal treatment of drivers, namely resident and non-resident offenders, enforcement should be facilitated irrespective of the Member State of registration