Union-wide effect of certain driving disqualifications

PURPOSE: to establish a Union framework for a Union-wide effect of certain driving disqualifications to prevent the relative impunity of non-resident road traffic serious offenders.

PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Directive (EU) 2025/2206 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive (EU) 2025/2205 as regards certain driving disqualifications.

CONTENT: as a result of the free movement of persons and the increasing level of international road traffic, driving disqualifications are frequently imposed by a Member State other than the one where the driver normally resides or which issued the driving licence.

However, currently, these bans are only enforced in the Member State where the traffic offence occurred. Therefore, the offender cannot drive in the Member State where the offence was committed, but can continue to drive anywhere else in the EU.

This directive aims to close gaps in the implementation of driving licence suspension decisions in the EU. It is part of the road safety package presented by the Commission, which also includes an update to the Driving Licence Directive.

The main elements of the amending directive are as follows:

Duty to notify the driving disqualifications

The Member State of the offence should, after verification, if appropriate, that the person subject to the driving disqualification does not have his or her normal residence in its territory and does not hold a driving licence issued by that Member State, notify without undue delay the Member State of issuance of the driving disqualification in so far that the driving disqualification constitutes a withdrawal, suspension or restriction of the right to drive, of the driving licence or of the recognition of the validity of the driving licence.

The issuing Member State will then be required, under certain conditions, to issue a similar driving disqualification decision against the offender, which will make it effective throughout the EU.

Offences resulting in a driving ban

The directive will help to ensure a high level of protection for all road users in the EU, assuring the implementation of driving disqualifications imposed because of serious driving offences such as:

- drink-driving or driving under the influence of drugs;

- speeding offences;

- or a conduct infringing road traffic regulations and causing death or serious injuries to others.

The Member State where the offence was committed must notify the issuing Member State of any driving ban imposed for a period of at least three months, where, at the time of notification, the remaining period of the suspension or restriction to be served is more than one month, in order to initiate the procedures necessary for the driving ban to be enforced in the issuing Member State. This notification must be transmitted electronically using a standard certificate for notification of a driving ban via the EU Driving Licence Network (RESPER).

The Member State that issued the driving licence will, to the extent possible, notify the offender within 20 working days of receiving the disqualification notification from the Member State where the offence was committed. The Member State that issued the driving licence may apply additional road safety measures beyond those provided for in the disqualification.

The information to be provided to the person subject to the driving disqualification should specify the legal remedies available under the law of the Member State of issuance, along with the right to be heard.

Grounds for exemption

The Member State of issuance may, in accordance with its national law, also apply the following grounds of exemption:

- the driving disqualification relates to a driving disqualification offence that would not result in a driving disqualification under the law of the Member State of issuance;

- the driving disqualification was imposed only on grounds of speeding and the applicable speed limit in the Member State of the offence was exceeded by less than 50 km/h;

- where there are substantial grounds to believe that fundamental rights or fundamental legal principles as enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union are likely to be infringed.

Information

By 26 November 2029 at the latest, and every five years thereafter, Member States should transmit to the Commission information on the number of notifications received, broken down by Member State of the offence and on the number of times a ground for exemption was invoked.

The Commission will also consider extending the application of the directive to driving disqualifications imposed on the basis of traffic offences other than driving disqualification offences, to further improve the EU driving licence network as necessary to reduce administrative burden and optimise the notification processes.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 25.11.2025.

TRANSPOSITION: no later than 26.11.2028.

APPLICATION: from 26.11.2029.