The European Parliament and EU ministers have reached an agreement to standardise rules on driving licences across the European Union.
A probationary period for novice drivers will be enforced across the EU and there will be rules setting out minimum physical and mental fitness levels required in order to be allowed to drive.
The EU directive will also allow digital driving licences to be legally recognised everywhere. That means that, in future, you will be able to show your driving licence on your phone rather than dig out a physical card.
The EU has been trying to standardise the rules on driving licence for years. So the agreement in principle is being seen as a breakthrough.
The European Commission also hopes it will improve road safety.
“These updated driving licence rules mark a major step forward in modernising our licencing system and enhancing road safety across the EU”, said the European Transport Commissioner, Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
“From the introduction of digital driving licences to measures that support young drivers, this agreement paves the way for a more accessible, efficient, and safer mobility system. Most importantly, it will help us reduce fatalities on EU roads, bringing us closer to our Vision Zero goal.”
It’s hoped that the new law will also make it easier to prosecute bad drivers and keep them off the road.
“This legislation will make it possible to ban serious road offenders from driving across all EU Member States, helping to make our roads safer”, according to centre-right EPP members of the European Parliament.
Until now driver disqualifications could only be enforced within the member state where a traffic offence occurred.
According to the EU, this has allowed 40 percent of cross-border offences to be “committed with relative impunity.”
Under the new rules, disqualification will apply EU-wide, closing that loophole.
The law is expected to be formally adopted into EU law. EU member states including Ireland will have a maximum of four years to transpose the Directive into national legislation.