The European Union (EU ) is considering giving police new powers to prosecute European drivers if they commit offences in any of the 27 countries that make up the union.
The new proposals, if adopted would allow Gardai to prosecute foreign drivers when they commit offences in Ireland.
The EU is basing a draft directive on the fact that a foreign driver is three times more likely to commit an offence than a resident driver and that foreign drivers account for 5 per cent of all traffic in the 27-nation EU bloc, but around 15 per cent of the speeding offences.
Legislation could be introduced as early as 2013.
