The Council of State gives the government two months to introduce the technical control of two-wheelers

The Council of State gave Thursday, June 1 to the government two months to take the decree setting up the technical control for motorized two-wheelers, in accordance with a European obligation that France has always been reluctant to apply. The Minister Delegate for Transport Clément Beaune reacted immediately, affirming that the government would apply "of course the decision of the Council of State" and that he himself would specify "in the coming days the timetable and the methods of the technical control", in a communicated. At this stage, the exact date on which the motorcycles and scooters will be subject to technical control in France is not known.

The highest administrative court, which was seized in summary proceedings (in an emergency) by several associations fighting for air quality and road safety, ordered the government to “take the decree of application of the decree of August 9, 2021 relating the implementation of the technical inspection of motorized vehicles with two or three wheels and motorized quadricycles within two months from the notification of this decision”.

In August 2021, a decree had indeed provided for the start of technical inspection in January 2023 for vehicles registered before 2016, and later for the others. But the next day, at the request of Emmanuel Macron, the government had indicated that it would not apply it, because "it (was) not the time to bother the French", according to an adviser to the executive.

The Respire, Ras le Scoot and Paris Sans Car associations then seized the Council of State under an emergency procedure to demand the application of the European directive as soon as possible. And, the highest administrative court in the country had agreed with them in May 2022, ordering the executive to apply it from October 2022. Since then, the government has been planning to pass a lighter control on two-wheelers, for less than fifty euros, from June 2023, according to a government note consulted by AFP.

The applicant associations welcomed the decision of the Council of State, indicating that they hoped that the government “stops shrinking from the inevitable introduction of technical control”. “It has now been two years since Ras Le Scoot, alongside Respire and Paris Sans Voiture, has been fighting to ensure respect for European law that Emmanuel Macron flouts for reasons of electoral opportunity”, lashed out at the association bringing together citizens. "overwhelmed by the nuisance of motorized two-wheelers". “If we don't twist the arm of the public authorities through legal and judicial means, we won't get to the end. This is the only way for us to be heard", lamented Tony Renucci, general manager of the Respire association, this Friday morning on Franceinfo, considering that behind the obligation of technical control of two-wheelers, "it is necessary see what we will save for public health and in terms of quality of life”.

The European Commission had imposed a technical inspection in 2014 in all countries of the European Union, wishing it to be implemented from January 2022 for two-wheelers over 125 cm3. Céline Aubrun, coordinator of the national office of the French Federation of Angry Bikers (FFMC), found it "complicated" to apply it in such a short time: "As the technical control centers were not necessarily ready, it will be put in place in a hurry, we are worried about such a rapid implementation, ”she told AFP.