Changes from plenary report to adopted text

Added5. Without prejudice to national criminal and police laws, Member States may apply to the issuing of driving licences national provisions relating to conditions other than those referred to in this Directive. They shall inform the Commission thereof.

Added6. When issuing or renewing driving licences in categories AM, A, A1, A2, B, B1 and BE, Member States may require an examination applying the minimum standards of physical and mental fitness for driving set out in Annex III instead of the self-assessment laid down in point 3 of that Annex. In that case, the medical examination shall cover all the medical incapacities mentioned in Annex III.

AddedThe Commission shall adopt by [date-of-adoption+18 months] implementing acts setting out the content of the self-assessment referred to in point 3 of Annex III and covering all of the medical incapacities mentioned in that Annex. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 22(2). [Am. 99]

AddedWhile respecting the principle of subsidiarity, when renewing driving licences in categories AM, A, A1, A2, B, B1, BE and T Member States may require an examination applying the minimum standards of fitness for driving set out in Annex III. [Ams. 256 and 318]

Added6a. Member States shall establish evidence-based guidelines for General Practitioners and family doctors to identify those who may be at risk of driving a car, and shall operate in coordination with licencing authorities. [Am. 100]

Added6b. Member States shall develop national sensibility campaigns to raise awareness among the general public about mental or physical signals that may put a person at risk of driving a vehicle. [Am. 101]

Added7. No person may hold more than one physical driving licence. A person may however hold severalstore a mobile driving licences, provided that these are issued by the same Member Statelicence on several devices. [Am. 102]

AddedNo person may hold driving licences issued by more than one Member State.

AddedA Member State shall refuse to issue a driving licence where it establishes that the applicant already holds a driving licence issued by another Member State.

AddedMember States shall take the necessary measures for the purpose of applying the third subparagraph. The necessary measures as regards the issue, replacement, renewal or exchange of a driving licence shall be to verify with other Member States where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the applicant is already the holder of another driving licence. To that end, Member States shall use the EU driving licence network referred to in Article 19.

AddedWithout prejudice to Article 3(6), a Member State issuing a driving licence shall apply due diligence to ensure that a person fulfils the requirements set out in paragraph 1 of this Article, and shall apply its national provisions on the cancellation or withdrawal of the driving licence or of the right to drive if it is established that a licence has been issued without those requirements having been met.

Added8. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts, in accordance with Article 21, to amend Annexes II, III, V and VI where necessary in order to take account of technical, operational or scientific developments.

Added8a. The Commission shall, based on expert advice, develop an online training course for general practitioners allowing them to assess all aspects of an applicant's fitness to drive. [Am. 103]

AddedArticle 11 Exchange and replacement of driving licences issued by Member States

Added1. Where the holder of a valid driving licence issued by a Member State has taken up normal residence in another Member State, he or she may request that his or her driving licence be exchanged for an equivalent licence. The Member State performing the exchange shall check for which category the licence submitted is in fact still valid.

Added2. Subject to observance of the principle of territoriality of criminal and police laws, the Member State of normal residence may apply its national provisions on the restriction, suspension, withdrawal or cancellation of the right to drive to the holder of a driving licence issued by another Member State and, if necessary, exchange the licence for that purpose.

Added3. The Member State performing the exchange of a physical driving licence shall return the old licence to the authorities of the Member State which issued it and give the reasons for doing so. The Member State exchanging the driving licence shall inform the authorities of the issuing Member State, specifying the reasons for such exchange. The Member States which originally issued the driving licence shall ensure that the former mobile driving licence can no longer be viewed. For the purposes of communication, Member States shall make use of the EU driving licence network referred to in Article 19(1). [Am. 104]

Added4. A replacement for a driving licence which has been lost or stolen may only be obtained from the competent authorities of the Member State in which the holder has his or her normal residence. Those authorities shall provide the replacement on the basis of the information in their possession or, where appropriate, proof from the competent authorities of the Member State which issued the original licence.

AddedArticle 11a Interim driving licence

Added1. During the replacement, renewal or exchange of a driving licence, the Member State performing the replacement, renewal or exchange shall issue an interim driving licence in a form of a certificate, even if is the same Member State which has issued the previous licence. The Commission is empowered to adopt by 31 December 2025 a delegated acts in accordance with Article 21 to supplement this Directive by laying down a model standardised form for such a certificate. When adopting those delegated acts the Commission shall have due regard to any risk of forgery of such forms.

Added2. The certificate issued by a Member State under this Article shall be valid for a maximum period of 1 month. Such certificates shall be mutually recognised by Member States. Where the replacement, renewal or exchange of the driving licence is taking longer Member States may renew that certificate twice, each for the period not exceeding 1 month. The validity of such a certificate shall automatically cease once the holder comes into the possession of a physical or mobile licence in accordance with Article 3. [Am. 105]

AddedArticle 12 Exchange of driving licences issued by third countries

Added1. Where a Member State provides for the exchange of a driving licence issued by a third country to a holder that has taken up normal residence in its territory, that Member State shall exchange the driving licence in accordance with the provisions of this Article.

Added2. Where a Member State exchanges a driving licence issued by a third country that has not been the object of an implementing decision referred to in paragraph 7, such exchange shall be recorded on the driving licence issued by that member State by way of marking the relevant code from Annex I, Part E, as shall any subsequent renewal or replacement. If the holder of that licence transfers his or her normal residence to another Member State, the latter need not apply the principle of mutual recognition set out in Article 3(6).

AddedMember States shall apply, for such exchanges, the provisions of their national legislation, in accordance with the conditions provided for in this paragraph.

Added3. Where the driving licence is issued in a category and by a third country that has been the object of an implementing decision referred to in paragraph 7, such exchange shall not be recorded on the driving licence issued by the Member State concerned. In those cases, Member States shall exchange the driving licence in accordance with the conditions set out in the relevant implementing decision.

Added4. Where a driving licence issued by a Member State was exchanged for a driving licence issued by a third country, Member States shall not require the fulfilment of any additional conditions other than those set out in point (a) of Article 10(3) or record any additional information for exchanging that driving licence for a driving licence issued by them, as regards the categories of the initial driving licence.

AddedIn the situation referred to in the first subparagraph, where an applicant requests to exchange a driving licence that is also valid for categories concerning which he or she acquired the right to drive in a third country, the following rules shall apply:

Added(a) if the driving licence was issued in a category and by a third country that has been the object of an implementing decision referred to in paragraph 7, paragraph 3 shall apply;

Added(b) in the absence of such implementing decision, paragraph 2 shall apply.

Added5. The exchanges referred to in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 shall only occur if the driving licence issued by the third country has been surrendered to the competent authorities of the Member State making the exchange.

Added6. The Commission may identify that a third country has a road transport framework guaranteeing, wholly or partially, a level of road safety that is comparable to the Union one, which allows for the driving licences issued by this third country to be exchanged without recording such exchange on the driving licences issued by Member States, if necessary after complying with certain pre-defined conditions.

AddedWhere the Commission identifies such a third country, it may assess the third country’s road transport framework in cooperation with the Member States. Member States shall have six months to provide their opinion on the road transport framework in place in the identified third country. The Commission shall proceed with the assessment once it has received an opinion from all Member States or once the time limit for sending the opinions has passed, whichever is laterearlier. [Am. 106]

AddedWhen assessing the road transport framework in place in a third country the Commission shall take into account at least the following elements:

Added(a) the driver licensing requirements in place, such as the classification of driving licence categories, minimum age requirements, training and driving tests’ requirements and conditions, and medical standards for issuing the licence;

Added(b) whether the third country issues mobile driving licences and if so, the applicable technical and structural details for operating the system;

Added(c) the extent to which there are forged driving licences in circulation and what measures are taken to prevent forgery of driving licences;

Added(d) the period of administrative validity of the driving licences issued by the third country;

Added(e) the traffic conditions in the third country and whether they are comparable to the traffic conditions on the road networks in the Union;

Added(f) the road safety performance of the third country.

Added(fa) the exchange system established for EU driving licences in the third country. [Am. 107]

Added7. The Commission may, after conducting the assessment referred to in paragraph 6 and by means of implementing decisions, decide that a third country has a road transport framework in place that wholly or partially guarantees a level of road safety that is comparable to the Union one for the driving licences issued by that third country to be exchanged without recording such exchange on the driving licence issued by a Member State.

AddedThe implementing decision shall contain at least:

Added(a) the driving licence categories referred to in Article 6, regarding which an exchange may be made without recording it on the driving licence issued by a Member State;

Added(b) the dates of issuance of the third country driving licences from which an exchange may be made without recording it on the driving licence issued by a Member State;

Added(c) any general conditions to be complied with for the purpose of verifying the authenticity of the official document to be exchanged;

Added(d) any general conditions the applicant has to comply with to demonstrate compliance with the medical standards laid down in Annex III, prior to the exchange.

AddedWhere the driving licence of the applicant does not allow compliance with the second subparagraph, points (a) or (b), of this paragraph, Member States may decide to exchange the driving licence in accordance with paragraph 2. Where the applicant is not able to comply with the second subparagraph, points (c) or (d), of this paragraph, Member States shall refuse to exchange the driving licence. Any additional condition that the implementing decision may contain shall provide for either the applicability of the national provisions of the Member State in accordance with paragraph 2, or for the refusal of the exchange of the driving licence, where such conditions are not complied with by the applicant.

AddedThe implementing decisions shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 22(2).

Added8. The implementing decision referred to in paragraph 7 shall provide for a periodic review, at least every four years, of the road safety situation in the third country concerned. Depending on the conclusions of the review, the Commission shall maintain, amend or suspend, to the extent necessary, or repeal the implementing decision referred to in paragraph 7.

Added8a. A certificate of professional competence (CPC), or an equivalent certificate, issued by a third country referred to in paragraph 2 may be replaced by a new CPC issued by a Member State where the holder has completed in that Member State additional competence training of up to 35 hours. That additional competence training shall be carried out in the EU language best understood by a [candidate]. If necessary, in line with Directive (EU) 2022/2561 on the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers of certain road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers, to ensure a high level of competence and road safety, appropriate linguistic support shall be provided.

AddedFor the purpose of determining whether third countries have rules wholly or partially comparable to corresponding Union rules that guarantee a level of road safety that is wholly or partially comparable to that in the Union, the Commission is empowered to adopt by ... [2 years after the entry into force of this amending Directive] delegated acts in accordance with Article 21 to supplement this Directive, by laying down the conditions for, and the criteria and methodologies to be used when, assessing third-country rules on professional training for drivers or third-country rules on certification and examination procedures, or both.

AddedOn the basis of those [delegated acts/ assessment conditions, criteria and methodologies], and in cooperation with the Member States in accordance with the procedure set out in paragraph 6, the Commission shall adopt implementing acts, setting out its decision that a specific third country has rules on professional training for drivers and/or rules on certification and examination procedures wholly or partially comparable to corresponding Union rules that guarantee a level of road safety that is wholly or partially comparable to that in the Union. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with examination procedure referred to in Article 22(2). [Am. 108]

Added9. The Commission shall publish in the Official Journal of the European Union and on its website a list of the third countries that have been the object of an implementing decision in accordance with paragraph 7paragraphs 7 and 8a, and shall also publish accordingly any relevant changes made in accordance with paragraph 98. [Am. 109]

Added10. The Commission shall establish a knowledge network to aggregate, process and disseminate knowledge and information on best practices for the integration of foreign professional drivers in the internal market. The network shall include relevant Members States authorities, centres of excellence, universities and researchers, social partners and other relevant actors of the road transport sector.

AddedArticle 12a Platform for cooperation

Added1. The Commission shall establish a platform for cooperation to aggregate, process and disseminate knowledge and information on best practices for

Added(a) the training schemes of drivers in the Member States, including training of special use vehicles such as Non Road Mobile Machinery;

Added(b) the licencing and normal use of special use vehicles, such as Non Road Mobile Machinery in the different Member States, including cross border implications of differences of these rules with the view to facilitating use of such machinery; and

Added(c) any other issue deemed appropriate.