Brussels 27/03/2006 (Agence Europe) -Monday's Transport Council reached political agreement, without debate and with the abstention of the United Kingdom, on the proposed directive aiming to bring in a single driving licence on Community territory. Under the terms of this agreement, by no later than 2032, only European driving licences will be in circulation on Community territory. This agreement was reached on the basis of compromise with the European Parliament, which is also set to adopt it at second reading.
The proposal, which was presented in 2003, aims to replace the 110 different driving licences currently in force on Community territory with a single "credit card"-style plastic licence. Under the agreement reached, by no later than 2012, the Member States will only be allowed to issue Community driving licences. However, the Member States will be allowed to bring in the new Community driving licence onto their territory earlier. A transition period of 20 years has been earmarked for the replacement of old driving licences in force throughout the EU. Concretely, and taking account of the time needed for the directive to be transposed, the Member States will have 26 years, once the directive has been adopted, to replace the old licences. By no later than 2032, only European driving licences will be in circulation on Community territory.
The agreement reached sets at 10 years the administrative validity of the new European driving licences for categories A (motorcycles) and B (cars). However, the Member States will have the option of extending this administrative validity to 15 years. The validity period for new European driving licences for categories C (truck) and D (bus/coach) will remain limited to five years. The validity period for licences all drivers aged 65 years and above will not be limited to five years, as the European Commission wanted, but will be 10 years. The Member States will, however, have the option to make medical examinations a pre-condition for renewing the licences of drivers aged 65 years and above.
Furthermore, access to the largest and most powerful motorcycles is more strictly regulated. Direct access to this category will only be possible for drivers aged 24 and over, once they have passed a theory and a practical exam. People wanting to drive the most powerful motorcycles under this age will have to provide evidence of at least two years' experience driving smaller models.
The directive will also enable the Member States to include an electronic chip on new driving licences. This chip will contain information included on the driving licence, in order to make it impossible to forge them, and to avoid fraud.
In order to fight the possibility of "driving licence tourism", or the possibility for a driver who has had his or her driving licence removed in one State for serious driving offences to go to another Member State for a new licence, the Commission is to set up a network allowing the Member States to exchange information on the driving licences which they have issued, exchange, replaced, renewed or withdrawn.
Once it is adopted, the directive will also impose minimum requirements for medical tests for professional drivers and for qualifications and continuous training for examiners.