Article 4Amendments to Directive 90/232/EEC

Directive 90/232/EEC shall be amended as follows:

  1. 1.

    in Article 1, the following paragraph shall be inserted between the first and second paragraphs:

    Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that any statutory provision or any contractual clause contained in an insurance policy which excludes a passenger from such cover on the basis that he knew or should have known that the driver of the vehicle was under the influence of alcohol or of any other intoxicating agent at the time of an accident, shall be deemed to be void in respect of the claims of such passenger.

  2. 2.

    the following Article shall be inserted:

    Article 1a

    The insurance referred to in Article 3(1) of Directive 72/166/EEC shall cover personal injuries and damage to property suffered by pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised users of the roads who, as a consequence of an accident in which a motor vehicle is involved, are entitled to compensation in accordance with national civil law. This Article shall be without prejudice either to civil liability or to the amount of damages.

  3. 3.

    in Article 2, the first indent shall be replaced by the following:

    1. cover, on the basis of a single premium and during the whole term of the contract, the entire territory of the Community, including for any period in which the vehicle remains in other Member States during the term of the contract; and

  4. 4.

    the following Articles shall be inserted:

    Article 4a

    1

    By way of derogation from the second indent of Article 2(d) of Directive 88/357/EEC15, where a vehicle is dispatched from one Member State to another, the Member State where the risk is situated shall be considered to be the Member State of destination, immediately upon acceptance of delivery by the purchaser for a period of thirty days, even though the vehicle has not formally been registered in the Member State of destination.

    2

    In the event that the vehicle is involved in an accident during the period mentioned in paragraph 1 of this Article while being uninsured, the body referred to in Article 1(4) of Directive 84/5/EEC in the Member State of destination shall be liable for the compensation provided for in Article 1 of the said Directive.

    Article 4b

    Member States shall ensure that the policyholder has the right to request at any time a statement relating to the third party liability claims involving the vehicle or vehicles covered by the insurance contract at least during the preceding five years of the contractual relationship, or to the absence of such claims. The insurance undertaking, or a body which may have been appointed by a Member State to provide compulsory insurance or to supply such statements, shall provide this statement to the policyholder within 15 days of the request.

    Article 4c

    Insurance undertakings shall not rely on excesses against the injured party to an accident as far as the insurance referred to in Article 3(1) of Directive 72/166/EEC is concerned.

    Article 4d

    Member States shall ensure that injured parties to accidents caused by a vehicle covered by insurance as referred to in Article 3(1) of Directive 72/166/EEC enjoy a direct right of action against the insurance undertaking covering the person responsible against civil liability.

    Article 4e

    Member States shall establish the procedure provided for in Article 4(6) of Directive 2000/26/EC16 for the settlement of claims arising from any accident caused by a vehicle covered by insurance as referred to in Article 3(1) of Directive 72/166/EEC.

    In the case of accidents which may be settled by the system of national insurers' bureaux provided for in Article 2(2) of Directive 72/166/EEC, Member States shall establish the same procedure as in Article 4(6) of Directive 2000/26/EC. For the purpose of applying this procedure, any reference to insurance undertaking shall be understood as a reference to national insurers' bureaux as defined in Article 1, point 3 of Directive 72/166/EEC.

  5. 5.

    Article 5(1) is replaced by the following:

    1.

    Member States shall ensure that, without prejudice to their obligations under Directive 2000/26/EC, the information centres established or approved in accordance with Article 5 of that Directive, provide the information specified in that Article to any party involved in any traffic accident caused by a vehicle covered by insurance as referred to in Article 3(1) of Directive 72/166/EEC.