Driving licence, new Community model (amend. Directive 91/439/EEC)

PREVIOUS COMMUNITY LEGISLATION: Directive 80/1263/EEC of 4 December 1980 on the introduction of a Community driving licence (OJ L 375, 31.12.1980, p. 1) will be repealed on 1 July 1996, when Directive 91/439/EEC of 29 July 1991 on driving licences (OJ L 237, 24.8.1991, p. 1) comes into force. Under Article 12 of this directive, the Member States must, before 1 July 1994, adopt the laws, regulations or administrative provisions necessary to comply with the directive. Article 3(2) makes provision for the creation of optional subcategories and Article 11 provides for a review by the Council with a view to their possible harmonization after 1 July 2001. Under Directive 94/72/EC of 19 December 1994 (OJ L 337, 24.12.1994, p. 86), Finland and Sweden may continue to issue driving licences based on their present model until 31 December 1997. PREVIOUS POSITION OF EP: Parliament advocated 'a European approach to the penalty points driving licence and recommended the Commission to set up a working party soon to investigate the scope for a European approach and to issue a report by July 1994' (paragraph 26 of the resolution of 11 March 1994 on an action programme on road safety, OJ C 91, 28.3.1994, p. 304). SITUATION IN THE MEMBER STATES: Directive 80/1263/EEC has been implemented in all Member States apart from Belgium; however, the provisions for the implementation of Directive 91/439/EEC have been adopted only by Denmark and Italy.