Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
To ensure safer traffic across Europe, the Council of the European Union today adopted its Common Positions (General Approaches) on two proposals from the Commission that form part of the so-called “road safety” legislative package, amending or repealing:
Directives 2006 and 2022, as well as the 2012 and 2018 regulations on driving licences.
2015 Directive on cross-border exchange of information on traffic offenses related to road safety.
This is a paradigm shift for the driving license system in Europe. Along with stricter rules on the application of penalties for traffic offences, the new legislation will improve safety on European highways and ensure safer residential areas across the EU. According to what was reported in a European statement today, Monday, from Oscar Puente, the Spanish Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, who is in charge of the country
He currently holds the rotating presidency of the Union
Guidance on driving licenses
According to the European statement, the Commission’s proposal aims to improve road safety and facilitate the freedom of movement of citizens within the European Union. The proposal should be viewed as a complete reform of the current Directive since the last major reform occurred in 2006 and had to be carried forward by Member States until 2013. The proposal introduces four major new elements to the current system:
A European scheme for novice drivers that allows accompanied driving after obtaining a license at the age of 17
Stricter requirements for novice drivers during the first two years of driving (or more depending on member state rules).
Mobile driving license as part of the European Digital ID wallet, and use self-assessments as a candidate for the medical examination for driver fitness.
The general orientation of the Commission's proposal was maintained in the Council's common position. However, the Council made several amendments to the Mafloudia proposal, which can be summarized as follows:
To keep the validity periods of driving licenses for seniors voluntarily shortened
A clearer scheme for examining physical and mental fitness to drive before issuing and renewing driving licences, based on the various systems developed in member states
Aligning the technical elements of mobile driving licenses with the review of the eIDAS regulation and improving the link between the adoption of implementing laws and Member States’ commitment to implementation
More detailed guidance for the Committee's assessment of the road safety framework in third countries
Improvement of accompanying person requirements in the accompanied driving regime which will only be compulsory for a Category B licence
Reformulating the terms of the probationary period in light of the jurisdictions of member states and established practices
Possibility for a citizen to take a theoretical examination, under certain circumstances, in the Member State of citizenship when it is different from the Member State of residence, but there is no such option for a practical test
Directive on cross-border exchange of information on traffic violations related to road safety
The proposal aims to ensure that non-resident drivers respect traffic rules when driving in other member states.
The Council maintained the general orientation of the Commission's proposal. However, the Council made several changes to the proposal, mainly aimed at clarifying the scope and definitions of statutory action. This requires, among other things:
Introducing the concept of “concerned person” and clarifying the roles and responsibilities of national contact points and competent authorities
More crimes have been added to the Commission's proposal, such as cases of failure to respect vehicle access restrictions or rules at railway level crossings, as well as cases of hit-and-runs
Further clarification on the various procedures related to accessing vehicle registration data and the various options available to the competent authorities to request mutual assistance with the aim of ensuring that the identity of the person concerned is identified and that the traffic violation notice reaches the correct place.
All necessary safeguards are in place to protect the fundamental rights of the driver or any other person concerned
The European statement indicated that after the adoption of the Council's negotiating mandates (general approaches) today, it has become possible for the next presidency to enter into talks with the European Parliament (the 'Triads') on these key legislative files.
It is noteworthy that, within the framework of the European Union Road Safety Policy 2021-2030, the Commission renewed its commitment to the ambitious goal of reaching almost zero deaths and serious injuries on EU roads by 2050 (“Vision Zero”), in addition to the medium-term goal of In reducing deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030. However, deaths from road accidents rose by 4% last year compared to 2021, according to the committee’s latest data. This is still 9% below the pre-pandemic level, but the pace of improvement is not sufficient to reach the above targets.
Both proposals form part of the Road Safety Package, which was adopted by the Commission on 1 March 2023