Driving licences

The Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted the report by Karima DELLI (Greens/EFA, FR) on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on driving licences, amending Directive (EU) 2022/2561 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Regulation (EU) 2018/1724 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Directive 2006/126/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission Regulation (EU) No 383/2012.

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

Subject matter

The proposed directive lays down common rules on: (a) the models, standards and categories of driving licences; (b) the issuance, validity, renewal, and mutual recognition of driving licences; (c) certain aspects of the exchange, replacement, withdrawal, restriction, suspension and cancelation of driving licences; (d) certain aspects applicable to novice drivers.

Physical driving licences and mobile driving licences

Members suggested that no later than four years after the date of adoption, applicants should be issued with both a mobile driving licence and a physical driving licence by default.

Member States should ensure that by 19 January 2033 (instead of 2030), all physical driving licences issued or in circulation fulfil all the requirements of this Directive.

Those electronic applications should be based on the European Digital Identity Wallets issued in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and an appropriate level of security of these applications should be ensured.

Personal data should be processed by implementing the principles of ‘data minimisation’, ‘purpose limitation’ and ‘data protection by design and by default’, in particular with regard to technical measures.

The Commission should provide assistance to Member States who should work together in pursuit of the worldwide use and recognition of the European mobile driving licence.

Licence categories

The report specifies that driving licences must authorise the driving of category T motor vehicles (wheeled tractors).

Minimum age

Members agree to allow 18-year-olds to obtain a licence to drive a truck or a bus with up to 16 passengers, provided they hold a certificate of professional competence. If they do not, the age limit is raised to 21. In addition, 17-year-olds could also be eligible for a driving licence for trucks if accompanied by an experienced driver.

Any Member State may lower the minimum age for categories D and DE for professional bus and coach drivers to 19 years on their territory, provided that drivers have undergone a full professional training and are holders of CPC (18 years old if they drive such vehicles without passengers).

Novice drivers

Members considered that for novice drivers, a probationary period of at least two years should be established. In case a novice driver already has a valid driving licence for another category, the probationary period should only include what may remain of the probationary period of the existing driving licence, yet it should not be shorter than 6 months.

During that period drivers should be subjected to stricter rules and penalties Union-wide when breaking them, for example, due to the influence of alcohol or drugs, speeding, using unauthorised vehicles, failing to use safety equipment, or driving without a valid driving licence. Enforcement authorities might need to establish a technical zero tolerance threshold for their effective measurements, which should not be higher than 0.2 g/mL, in order to take into account accidental exposure to alcohol.

Issue, validity and renewal

When issuing or renewing driving licences in categories AM, A, A1, A2, B, B1 and BE, Member States should require an examination applying the minimum standards of physical and mental fitness for driving set out in Annex III via reasoned medical opinion from a medical authority whose competence is relevant to the complexity of one or more of the possible incapacities mentioned in Annex III from which the driver may be suffering in addition to the self-assessment laid down in that Annex.

Member States should:

- establish evidence-based guidelines for General Practitioners and family doctors to identify those who may be at risk of driving a car, and shall operate in coordination with licencing authorities;

- develop national sensibility campaigns to raise awareness among the general public about mental or physical signals that may put a person at risk of driving a vehicle.

The European Commission should, based on expert advice, develop an online training course for general practitioners allowing them to assess all aspects of an applicant's fitness to drive.

Up to date skills

Members back a proposal to adapt driver training and testing to better prepare drivers for real driving situations and develop their risk awareness, in particular to vulnerable users such as pedestrians, cyclist, and users of e-scooters and e-bikes.

Safe phone usage while driving, driving in snow and slippery conditions, blind spot risks, driver-assistance systems, and vehicle use in relation to the environment and emissions should also be part of driver tests.