Changes from adopted text to adopted text

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

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

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

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

Removed7. 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.

RemovedThe implementing decision shall contain at least:

Removed(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;

Removed(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;

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

Removed(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.

RemovedWhere 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.

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

Removed8. 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.

Removed8a. 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.

RemovedFor 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.

RemovedOn 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]

Removed9. 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]

Removed10. 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.

RemovedArticle 12a Platform for cooperation

Removed1. The Commission shall establish a platform for cooperation to aggregate, process and disseminate knowledge and information on best practices for

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

Removed(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

Removed(c) any other issue deemed appropriate.

Removed2. The platform shall include relevant Members States authorities, and relevant stakeholders of the road transport sector, and where possible facilitate building on these best practices. [Am. 320]

RemovedArticle 13 Effects of a restriction, suspension, withdrawal or cancellation of the right to drive or driving licence

Removed1. A Member State shall refuse to issue a driving licence to an applicant whose driving licence is restricted, suspended, withdrawn or cancelled in another Member State.

Removed2. A Member State shall refuse to recognise the validity of any driving licence issued by another Member State to a person whose driving licence or right to drive is restricted, suspended, withdrawn or cancelled in the former Member State’s territory.

Removed3. A driving licence or the right to drive shall be considered as restricted, suspended, withdrawn, or cancelled for the purposes of this Article as long as the person concerned is yet to fulfil any conditions, imposed by a Member State, with which he or she must comply with in order to be able to recover his or her right to drive or driving licence or to be able to apply for a new one.

RemovedMember States shall ensure that any conditions they impose in order for the holder to be able to recover his or her right to drive or driving licence or to be able to apply for a new one are proportionate, non-discriminatory to holders of driving licences issued by any other Member State and that they do not, by themselves, lead to an indefinite refusal to issue a driving licence or to recognise a driving licence issued by another Member State.

RemovedA Member State shall suspend a driving licence if the medical examination confirming validity referred to in Article 10 shows that the physical and psychological requirements regarding the medical conditions referred to in Annex III temporarily cannot be met. [Am. 110]

Removed4. Nothing in this Article shall be understood as preventing Member States from banning a person from driving in their territories indefinitely without providing him or her the possibility to recover his or her right to drive or driving licence or to be able to apply for a new one, where this is justified on the basis of his or her conduct.

RemovedWhere a Member State, in accordance with this paragraph, has imposed an indefinite ban on driving, such Member State may refuse to recognise the validity of any driving licence, issued by another Member State, in its respective territory indefinitely. By way of derogation from paragraph 1 other Member States may, after consulting with the Member State imposing the indefinite driving ban, issue a driving licence to such a person.

RemovedArticle 14 Accompanied driving scheme

Removed1. By way of derogation from Article 7(1), points (b) and (d) respectively, Member States shall issue driving licences, in accordance with Article 10(1), for categories B, C and C1 and C marked with the Union code 98.02 specified in Annex I, Part E, to applicants who have reached the age of 17 years. [Am. 111]

Removed2. Holders of a driving licence marked with the Union code 98.02 who have not reached the age of 18 years shall only drive when accompanied by a person in the front passenger seat, who is able to provide guidance during the driving. The accompanying person shall comply with the rules on driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or in an incapacitated state due to any other reason, and shall meetwho meets the following conditions: [Am. 112]

Removed(a) has a minimum age of 25 years;

Removed(b) holds aan EU driving licence of the relevant category issued more than five years ago; [Am. 113]

Removed(c) has not been subject to a driving disqualification over the last five years;

Removed(d) has not been subject to a decision in the field of criminal law resulting from a road-traffic related offence;

Removed(e) in the case of a vehicle of category Ccategories C and C1 has the qualification and training provided by Directive (EU) 2022/2561. [Am. 114]

Removed(ea) in the case of a vehicle category C and C1, has undergone a dedicated 7-hour training course to learn the necessary professional and pedagogical skills, as part of their periodic CPC training. [Am. 115]

RemovedMember States may decide to increase the duration of the training up to 14 hours. [Am. 116]

Removed3. Member States may require the identification of the accompanying persons referred to in the paragraph 2 in order to ensure compliance with this Article. Member States may limit the number of possible accompanying persons.

Removed3a. The accompanied driving scheme does not restrict Member States’ existing options to lower the minimum age for category B as set in Article 7(2) of this Directive and to apply related conditions at national level. [Am. 117]

Removed4. Member States may apply additional conditions for the issuance of a driving licence marked with the Union code 98.02 to applicants who have not reached the age of 18 years. They shall inform the Commission thereof. The Commission shall make this information available to the public.

Removed4a. Member States may reduce the age set out in paragraph 1 to persons having their normal residence in their territory in order to run pilot projects and collect data on the effect of accompanied driving schemes with a lower age as a part of applicant’s training until he or she reaches 3500 km. If a Member State wishes to make use of that option, it shall submit a reasoned request to the Commission. The Commission shall assess such request through a dialogue with the Member State concerned and render a decision within 3 months. The Commission may approve or deny the request by submitting a reasoned opinion, or approve it upon additional conditions in order to ensure road safety. The provisions of paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 shall remain applicable, where a derogation is granted by the Commission. Member States shall monitor results of the approved pilot projects and report them to the Commission. The Commission shall assess the requests and, when available, the results of the approved pilot projects in its periodic reviews. [Am. 118]

RemovedArticle 15 Probationary period

Removed1. The holder of a driving licence of a given category issued for the first time shall be considered a novice driver and shall be subject to a probationary period of at least two years. Member States shall lay down rules on the length of the period and the penalties for novice drivers. [Am. 119]

Removed1a. Member States shall establish an obligation for novice drivers to display a standard Union disk on the back windscreen of their vehicle during the whole length of their probationary period. The Commission shall, no later than [6 months from the date of entry into force of this directive] adopt a delegated act in accordance with Article 21 establishing the common visual specifications for the common disk. [Am. 268]

Removed2. Member States shall lay down rules on penalties for novice drivers who drive with a blood alcohol level exceeding 00.2g /mL or under the influence of psychotropic substances or narcotics.0g/mL The enforcement authorities of Member States shall establish a technical zero tolerance measuring threshold on the basis of the lowest limit of quantification that takes account of passive or accidental exposure and take all measures necessary to ensure that they are implemented. Those penalties shall be effective, proportionate, dissuasive and non‐discriminatorynon-discriminatory, and may include driving disqualifications. [Am. 120]

Removed2a. Member States shall lay down stricter rules on penalties for novice drivers, including where they fail to use safety equipment or drive without a valid driving licence, and take all measures necessary to ensure that they are implemented. Those penalties shall be effective, proportionate, dissuasive and non-discriminatory. [Am. 121]

Removed2b. Member States may extend the application of the zero tolerance system for alcohol and illicit psychoactive drugs to all drivers. [Am. 269]

Removed3. Member States may establish additional rules applicable on their territory to novice drivers during the probationary period to improve road safety. They shall inform the Commission thereof. Those rules shall not limit night-time driving. [Am. 122]

Removed4. Member States shall mark driving licences issued during a probationary period with the Union code 98.01 specified in Annex I, Part E.

Removed5. A probationary period shall not be applied to drivers obtaining a driving licence of category A2 or A in accordance with Article 10(1), point (c).

Removed5a. For drivers obtaining a new category during their probationary period for a previously issued licence category, the probationary period for the new category may be reduced taking into account already completed probationary period, subject to a minimum of 6 months. Such a reduction shall not apply if the existing driving licence is issued for category AM only. [Am. 123]

Removed5b. Member States are encouraged to include age-appropriate training on road safety rules and traffic risk awareness trainings as part of their elementary and secondary school curricula. Member States may use revenues earmarked under [Directive 2015/413 of the European Parliament and of the Council] to financially support such initiatives. The Commission may use the resources indicated in [Article 8a of that Directive] also to financially support such initiatives. [Am. 124]

RemovedArticle 16 Examiners

Removed1. Driving examiners shall meet the minimum standards set out in Annex IV.

RemovedDriving examiners already working in that capacity before 19 January 2013the entry into force of this Directive shall be subject only to the requirements concerning quality assurance and regular periodic training measures. [Am. 125]