Drivers of certain road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers: initial qualification and periodic training; driving licences

The Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted the report by Peter LUNDGREN (EFDD, SE) on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2003/59/EC on the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers of certain road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers and Directive 2006/126/EC on driving licences.

The committee recommended that the European Parliament’s position, adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure, should amend the Commission proposal as follows:

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: Members recalled that the greenhouse gas reduction target issued by the transport sector has been set at 20% below the 2008 level and should be reached by 2030. In order to achieve this, they stressed the need for sustainable mobility by encouraging the promotion of vehicles equipped with engines powered by alternative fuels, as well as high capacity vehicles in road or intermodal transport.

Exemptions: the following shall also be covered by the exemptions provided by the Directive:

• vehicles assigned to emergency ambulance transportation services provided that the carriage is undertaken for the purposes assigned to them;
• vehicles without passengers returned to their depot by maintenance personnel;
• vehicles operating within a radius of less than a 100 km of their base, provided that driving the vehicle is not the driver's principal activity.

In addition, this Directive shall not apply to any person wishing to obtain a driving licence or a CPC when that person is undergoing additional driving training during work-based learning, provided that that person is accompanied by another person certified by a CPC, or a driving instructor, for the category of vehicle used for the purpose.

Periodic training: this shall consist of training to enable holders of a CPC to update the knowledge which is essential for their work, with specific emphasis, during at least one day’s training, on road safety and health and safety at work, and the rationalisation of fuel consumption, for example through eco-driving. Members also proposed specific requirements that would prepare drivers to drive safely in extreme weather conditions.

A significant part of the training shall take the form of conventional classroom teaching, a second part must consist of practical driving training on a training site and a third part may also be provided by the approved training centre on top-of-the-range simulators.

Training subjects shall take into account: (i) the developments in the relevant legislation and technology such as connected-vehicle driving; (ii) the specific training needs of the driver.

Road drivers shall, inter alia:

• have familiarity with intelligent transport systems that make efficiency in driving and better route planning possible;
• be able to recognise dangerous situations on the road; ability to deal effectively with stress and dangerous driving;
• identify possible hasardous situations such as distracted driving caused by, for example, the use of smartphones and other electronic devices, as well as of in-vehicle technology.

Union code: a driver who drives vehicles used for the carriage of goods by road shall also have the right to prove that he or she has the qualification and training provided for in this Directive by means of the driver attestation provided for in Regulation (EU) No 1072/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, provided that it bears the Union code 95. The issuing Member State shall indicate Union code 95 in the remarks section of the attestation if the driver concerned has fulfilled the training qualification and training requirements provided for in this Directive.

Register and control: Members called for the creation of a common EU-wide register in order to help the authorities in enforcing the law contained in those directives and in fighting illegal trade in fake licences.