THE European Transport Safety Council, an international non-governmental organisation dedicated to the reduction of the number and severity of transport crash injuries in Europe, has criticised European Union transport commissioner Loyola de Palacio for saying that setting drink-drive (blood alcohol limits) for road safety was a matter for Member States. Jeanne Breen, executive director of ETSC, said tougher alcohol limits could save 1,000 road deaths per year in the European Union, and that the European Commission had already set a precedent of EU-wide safety initiatives by enforcing seat-belt use. (April 2000)