The Council of the European Union has adopted a negotiating position on a legislative proposal aimed at improving road safety across Europe. This move is part of the broader 'road safety' legislative package and seeks to enforce driving disqualifications across member states.
Under the proposed law, a driving disqualification imposed in one member state for serious road traffic offences will be recognised and implemented by the member state that issued the driving licence. This measure aims to ensure that non-resident drivers who commit serious traffic offences face consistent penalties across the EU.
The directive clearly defines various types of driving disqualifications and includes adaptations to accommodate the diverse national systems of member states. To reduce administrative burdens, disqualifications shorter than three months and those with less than one month remaining are excluded from the directive’s scope. Information exchange will occur through the secured EU driving licence network (RESPER), streamlining communication between member states.
The Council’s position allows the member state where the offence occurred to apply driving disqualifications and related conditions within its territory until the driver complies. The member state of issuance can assess the driver’s fitness and competence to drive, taking appropriate measures under its national law.
A review clause has been included to explore the possibility of extending the directive’s application to other offences or repeated offences by the same driver. The amount and frequency of data reporting to the European Commission have been reduced, with a transposition period extended to three years.
With the Council’s negotiating mandate adopted, the presidency will commence talks with the European Parliament, aiming for a potential early second reading agreement.
