Strasbourg, 24/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - With the adoption on Wednesday of the report by Belgian Christian Democrat Mathieu Grosch on the proposal for a directive on driving licences (codecision, first reading), the European Parliament decreed the end of the paper driving licence and the gradual introduction of a single European model of driving licence, in credit card format. Mr Grosch's report was adopted by 548 votes in favour, 103 against and 9 abstentions.
The proposal for a directive presented in October 2003 aims to strengthen road safety and combat fraud by introducing onto Community territory a single European model of driving licence. In plenary session, the Parliament followed the stance taken by its transport committee (EUROPE of 21 January) and spoke in favour of replacing all driving licences - old and new - on Community territory in two stages: within ten years following the entry into force of the directive for paper driving licences and in twenty years for plastic licences. This position brings it into opposition with the Council which does not wish to make it an obligation for Member States to replace existing driving licences on the date when the directive takes effect (EUROPE of 9 October 2004).
Like the transport committee, the plenary considers that Member States must be able to insert a microchip into the plastic driving licences to include data relative to the licence but also, in some cases, additional information. The presence of such a microchip, however, is not “a condition of validity” of the licence. In order to prevent fraud and “driving licence tourism”, MEPs approved the creation of a national contact point providing information on licences and the setting up of a European information network allowing exchange between Member States, that will be able to refuse issuance of a licence to anyone who has had a licence restricted, suspended or withdrawn in another Member State.
The Parliament also provides: the option for the Member States to change the minimum age requirements for access to various types of car and motorcycle on their national territory and for safety reasons, but keeping in place the principle of gradual access for mopeds; the removal of the obligation to reduce the validity of driving licences for drivers of 65 and more to five years.