MEPs and the Polish Council of the EU have reached agreements on new driving licence rules that will apply in all EU countries.
Under the new rules, a digital driving licence, which can be stored on a smartphone with EU-wide digital wallet technology, will become the main driving licence format in the EU. Member States will have five and a half years to implement it. MEPs ensured in negotiations that drivers will continue to have the right to request a physical driving licence.
To reduce the shortage of professional drivers, the minimum age for obtaining a truck driving licence (category C) will be lowered from 21 to 18 years, and for obtaining a bus driving licence from 24 to 21 years, provided that the driver holds a certificate of professional competence. EU countries will be able to allow 17-year-olds to drive a truck or van on their territory only when accompanied by an experienced driver. This accompanying driver system will be extended to car drivers across the EU.
"Important decisions have been made and they will affect everyone who is preparing to become a driver or is already driving. A major achievement is the introduction of a digital driver's license, as well as steps to unify the medical examination processes applied in different countries, making them more uniform. Knowing the size of our logistics sector, the scheme for driving trucks with an accompanying driver from the age of 17 is also very relevant for Lithuania," said Virginijus Sinkevičius (Greens), Vice-Chair of the European Parliament's (EP) Committee on Transport and Tourism, who participated in a press conference organized by the European Parliament Office in Lithuania on Wednesday.
The EP and the Council of the EU also agreed this week on new rules to ensure that if a person loses their driving licence in one country, it will apply in all EU countries. Currently, if a driver loses their licence after committing a traffic offence in an EU country other than the one where their licence was issued, the penalty is usually only imposed in the country where the offence was committed. The country where the licence was issued, or any other EU country, has no information about this.
Once the new rules come into force, EU countries will have to inform each other without undue delay about decisions to disqualify drivers for the most serious road traffic offences, such as drink-driving or drug-taking, being involved in fatal accidents or speeding by more than 50 km/h. During the year of negotiations, the EP succeeded in getting a 20-working-day deadline for notifying the driver of the decision and the possibility of challenging it. After five years, the European Commission should assess the effectiveness of these changes and consider whether it would be worth extending the list of driver offences and the time limits for sharing information.
MEPs have secured new requirements to improve driver training. To obtain a driving licence, drivers will need to learn how to use their phones safely while driving, how to assess the risk of blind spots, how to use driving assistance systems, as well as how to open doors safely and how to drive on snow and slippery roads.
All EU countries will also have a mandatory two-year probationary period for new drivers. New drivers will face tougher penalties for drink-driving and driving without a seatbelt or with a child incorrectly restrained. The agreement encourages EU countries to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on alcohol and drugs, banning the consumption of alcohol by all drivers.
EU negotiators have agreed that driving licences for motorcycles and cars should be valid for 15 years. EU countries can reduce this period to 10 years if the licence can be used as a national identity document, while licences for trucks and buses will have to be renewed every five years. EU countries can shorten the validity of driving licences for older drivers (65 years and over).
Before a first driving licence is issued, a driver in all EU countries will have to undergo a medical examination, including a vision and cardiovascular check, or complete a health assessment questionnaire.
Under the new rules, it will be easier for EU residents to obtain a passenger car licence when they live in another country. If the country of residence does not offer the possibility of taking the test in one of the official languages of the home country, an EU citizen will be able to take the test and obtain a licence in their home country, even if they do not declare their place of residence there.
The preliminary agreements still need to be formally approved by the EU Council and the European Parliament. EU countries will have four years to implement the changes.
The updated rules aim to improve safety on EU roads, where almost 20 people die every year. The aim is to reduce this number by at least 2030% by 50.
