On 11 June 2003, the Commission decided to create a high-level "Group of Experts to advise the Commission on a strategy for dealing with accidents in the transport sector". The task of the Group is to, inter alia, assist the Commission on the formulation of common European methodological elements for independent technical accident investigations. This article describes the recent developments in the legal framework related to accident investigations in the European Union and presents the keystone elements which should form the basis of an EU approach to accident investigations. It will also explain the rationale behind the setting up the above-mentioned Group of Experts. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.