Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

AddedArticle 6 – paragraph 1 – point b – point i – indent 2: – powered tricycles with a net maximum power not exceeding 15 kW;

AddedArticle 6 – paragraph 1 – point b – point ii – indent 1: – motorcycles of a net maximum power not exceeding 35 kW and with a power/weight ratio not exceeding 0,2 kW/kg and not derived from a vehicle of more than 70 kW;

AddedArticle 6 – paragraph 1 – point b – point iii – indent 2: – powered tricycles with a net maximum power exceeding 15 kW; / Without prejudice to the provisions of type-approval rules for the vehicles concerned, motor vehicles in categories referred to in points (a) and (b) may be combined with a trailer with a maximum authorised mass not exceeding half the weight of the towing vehicle’s unladen mass;

AddedArticle 6 – paragraph 1 – point c – point viii – indent 1: – motor vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of more than 8 and no more than 16 passengers in addition to the driver and with a maximum length not exceeding 8 meters.

AddedArticle 6 – paragraph 1 – point c – point xi a (new): (xia) category T: / – all wheeled tractors; each wheeled tractor category described in point xi b (new) to xi h (new) is supplemented at the end by an ‘a’ or ‘b’ index according to its design speed: / – ‘a’ for wheeled tractors with a maximum design speed below or equal to 40 km/h; / – ‘b’ for wheeled tractors with a maximum design speed above 40 km/h;

AddedArticle 6 – paragraph 1 – point c – point xi b (new): (xib) category T1: / – wheeled tractors, with the closest axle to the driver having a minimum track width of not less than 1 150 mm, with an unladen mass, in running order, of more than 600 kg, and with a ground clearance of not more than 1 000 mm;

AddedArticle 6 – paragraph 1 – point c – point xi c (new): (xic) category T2: / – wheeled tractors with a minimum track width of less than 1 150 mm, with an unladen mass, in running order, of more than 600 kg, with a ground clearance of not more than 600 mm; if the height of the centre of gravity of the tractor (measured in relation to the ground) divided by the average minimum track for each axle exceeds 0,90, the maximum design speed shall be restricted to 30 km/h;

AddedArticle 6 – paragraph 1 – point c – point xi d (new): (xid) category T3’: / – wheeled tractors with an unladen mass, in running order, of not more than 600 kg;

AddedArticle 6 – paragraph 1 – point c – point xi e (new): (xie) category T4: / – special purpose wheeled tractors;

AddedArticle 6 – paragraph 1 – point c – point xi f (new): (xif) category T4.1: / – tractors designed for working with high-growing crops, such as vines. They feature a raised chassis or section of chassis, enabling them to advance in parallel with the crop with left and right wheels on either side of one or more rows of the crop. They are intended for carrying or operating tools which may be fitted at the front, between the axles, at the rear or on a platform. When the tractor is in working position the ground clearance perpendicular to the crop rows exceeds 1 000 mm. Where the height of the centre of gravity of the tractor, measured in relation to the ground, using the tyres normally fitted, divided by the average minimum track of all of the axles exceeds 0,90, the maximum design speed shall not exceed 30 km/h;

AddedArticle 6 – paragraph 1 – point c – point xi g (new): (xig) category T4.2: / – tractors characterised by their large dimensions, primarily intended for working large areas of farmland;

AddedArticle 6 – paragraph 1 – point c – point xi h (new): (xih) category T4.3: / – four- wheel drive tractors whose interchangeable equipment is intended for agricultural or forestry use and which are characterised by a supporting frame, equipped with one or more power take-offs, having a technically permissible mass no greater than 10 tonnes, for which the ratio of this mass to the maximum unladen mass in running order is less than 2,5 and having the centre of gravity, measured in relation to the ground using the tyres normally fitted, of less than 850 mm;

AddedArticle 6 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1: With the prior agreement of the Commission, which shall assess the impact of the proposed measure on road safety, Member States may exclude from the application of this Article certain specific types of power-driven vehicles, including special vehicles for persons with disabilities or vehicles used in construction sector classified inter alia as non-road mobile machinery.

AddedArticle 7 – paragraph 1 – point a: (a) 16 years for categories AM, A1, B1 and T;

AddedArticle 7 – paragraph 1 – point d a (new): (da) without prejudice to the circumstances set out in Article 6(1) of Directive (EU) 2022/2561, 18 years for categories C, CE, D1 and D1E, for professional drivers using driving licence nationally and internationally on the condition that they hold a Certificate for Professional Competence (CPC);

AddedArticle 7 – paragraph 1 – point e a (new): (ea) without prejudice to the circumstances set out in Article 6(1) of Directive (EU) 2022/2561, 21 years for categories D and DE, for professional drivers using driving licence nationally and internationally on the condition that they hold a Certificate for Professional Competence (CPC).

AddedArticle 7 – paragraph 2 – point b: Member states may not issue a driving licence for category B1 for a candidate over 21 years for the vehicles referred to in Article 9(4), first subparagraph, point (c), and under the conditions provided for in that paragraph.

AddedArticle 7 – paragraph 3 – point a: (a) vehicles used by the fire service, civil protection and vehicles used for maintaining public order;

AddedArticle 7 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1 a (new): Member States may mutually recognise on their territory the validity of driving licences issued to drivers under the minimum ages as set out in this paragraph.

AddedArticle 7 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1: Driving licences issued in accordance with paragraph 2 shall only be valid on the territory of the issuing Member State until the licence holder has reached the minimum age limit set out in paragraph 1.

AddedArticle 7 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1: deleted / (deleted) / (deleted) / (deleted)

AddedArticle 8 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1: Member States shall mark driving licences issued to a person subject to one or more conditions under which he or she is authorised to drive. To that end Member States shall use the corresponding Union codes provided for in Annex I, Part E. They may also use national codes for conditions not covered by Annex I, Part E, and, where they do so, they shall report this fact without delay to the Commission, along with details of the codes and cases in which they are used, upon the entry into force of this Directive and in case of [subsequent] new additions or modifications of existing codes.

AddedArticle 9 – paragraph 2 – point a a (new): (aa) licences issued for categories B, BE, C, C1E, CE, D, D1E or DE shall be valid for combinations of vehicles in category T;

AddedArticle 9 – paragraph 2 – point c a (new): (ca) licences issued for category CE and DE shall be valid for categories C and D respectively;

AddedArticle 9 – paragraph 2 – point d a (new): (da) licences issued for category C1E and D1E shall be valid for categories C1 and D1 respectively;

AddedArticle 9 – paragraph 2 – point h: (h) 2 years after a driving licence, granted for category B, was issued for the first time, it shall be valid for driving the alternatively fuelled vehicles, as referred in Article 2 [11c] of this Directive for categories M and N established by Regulation EU 2018/858, that are intended to be used on public roads, including those designed and constructed in one or more stages, with a maximum authorised mass above 3 500 kg but not exceeding 4 250 kg without a trailer, and for the transport of passengers with a maximum seat capacity of eight seats excluding the driver. Those vehicles may be combined with a trailer or semi-trailer with the maximum authorised mass of this combination not exceeding 5 000 kg;

AddedArticle 9 – paragraph 2 – point h a (new): (ha) 2 years after a driving licence, granted for category B, was issued for the first time, it shall be valid for driving ambulances as defined in Article 2 [(11a)] and other special usage vehicles, as well as motor caravans, as defined in Article 2 [(11b)] of this Directive that are up to 4250 kg; / In the periodic reports to the European Parliament and the Council referred to in Article 20 of this Directive, the Commission shall review the impact of technological advances in the field of emergency medical equipment and/or of the use of alternative fuels on the total mass of ambulances. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 21 of this Directive to amend this Directive by updating the maximum weight of ambulances based on the conclusions of those periodic reports. / The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts, in accordance with Article 21, to amend this Directive by updating the maximum weight of vehicles referred to in the first subparagraph of this point in order to take account of the impact of technical advances and the development of alternative fuels for ambulances;

AddedArticle 9 – paragraph 2 – point h b (new): (hb) 2 years after a driving licence granted for category BE, was issued for the first time, it shall authorise driving alternatively fuelled vehicles, as defined in Article 2 (11c) of this Directive for categories M and N established by Regulation EU 2018/858, that are intended to be used on public roads, including those designed and constructed in one or more stages, with a maximum authorised mass above 3 500 kg but not exceeding 4 250 kg without a trailer. Those vehicles may be combined with a trailer or semi-trailer where the maximum authorised mass of the trailer or semi-trailer not exceeding 3 500 kg;

AddedArticle 9 – paragraph 2 – point h c (new): (hc) 3 years after a driving licence, granted for category C1, was issued for the first time, it shall be valid for driving alternatively fuelled vehicles, as defined in Article 2 [(11 c)] of this Directive, with a maximum authorized mass above 7 500 kg but not exceeding 8 250 kg without a trailer and which are designed and constructed for the carriage of no more than eight passengers in addition to the driver. Those vehicles may be combined with a trailer having maximum authorized mass not exceeding 750 kg;

AddedArticle 9 – paragraph 2 – point h d (new): (hd) 3 years after a driving licence, granted for category C1E, was issued for the first time, it shall be valid for driving alternatively fuelled vehicles referred to in Article 9(2), point (hc) and its trailer or semi-trailer having a maximum authorised mass of over 750 kg provided that the authorised mass of the combination does not exceed 12 750 kg;

AddedArticle 9 – paragraph 2 – point h e (new): (he) 2 years after a driving licence, granted for a licence category T (for driving tractors with trailers), was issued for the first time, Member States may issue a licence in the category BE to a holder of such licence category T. Drivers qualifying for this rule do not have to take an additional theory test, but have to prove their skills and behaviour in a driving test in accordance with the examination conditions of category BE;

AddedArticle 9 – paragraph 2 – point h f (new): (hf) 3 years after a driving licence, granted for category D1, was issued for the first time, it shall be valid for vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of no more than 22 passengers in addition to the driver and with a maximum length not exceeding 8 meters.

AddedArticle 9 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 a (new): In its second implementation report to the European Parliament and the Council referred to in Article 20 of this directive, the Commission shall assess the impact of development and deployment of alternatively fuelled vehicles and/or the application of [point (h) to point (hd) of this Article] on road safety. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 21 to amend this Directive by updating the mass thresholds of alternatively fuelled vehicles.

AddedArticle 9 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1 – point c: (c) vehicles of category B with a maximum authorised mass of not exceeding 2 500 kg and a maximum speed technically limited to 45 km/h by drivers below 21 years old holding a driving licence granted for category B1.

AddedArticle 9 – paragraph 4 a (new): 4a. Member States shall be entitled to authorise to drive vehicles of category D or D1, in their territory, to the holders of driving licence granted for category C, provided that no other persons are transported in the vehicle and the driver is a person executing the roadworthiness test in accordance with Directive 2014/45/EU, or a mechanic of the car-repair shop performing a test ride, both within 5 km radius from the workshop, once the vehicle has been repaired, or maintenance or inspection drive purposes. The Member States shall inform the Commission on any authorisations granted in accordance with this paragraph.

AddedArticle 10 – paragraph 1 – point b – paragraph 1: as regards category AM: / (i) they have passed a theory test and a test of skills and behaviour, / (ii) they must take a medical examination.

AddedArticle 10 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new): (ba) For category A1; / (i) applicants have passed a theory test and a test of skills and behaviour, / (ii) applicants shall take a medical examination.

AddedArticle 10 – paragraph 1 a (new): 1a. Member States shall adopt the necessary provisions in order to ensure that persons who have a disability and whose test is carried out in a vehicle adapted for their disability are exempted from undertaking tasks incompatible with their disability.

AddedThe UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that obliges member states to take all appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures to amend or abolish existing laws, regulations, customs and practices that are a source of discrimination against persons with disabilities. This provision is purposely general so as not to have to list all possible impairments and instead leave to the discretion -and obligation- of the examiner to determine the applicable exemptions with regard to the applicant’s impairment on a case-by-case basis.

AddedArticle 10 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part: The minimum duration of the administrative validity of driving licences issued by Member States shall be as follows:

AddedArticle 10 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a: (a) 15 years for categories AM, A1, A2, A, B, B1, BE and T;

AddedArticle 10 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 6: deleted

AddedArticle 10 – paragraph 6 – subparagraph 1: When issuing or renewing driving licences in categories AM, A, A1, A2, B, B1 and BE, Member States shall require an examination applying the minimum standards of physical and mental fitness for driving set out in Annex III via reasoned medical opinion from a medical authority whose competence is relevant to the complexity of one or more of the possible incapacities mentioned in Annex III from which the driver may be suffering in addition to 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. The Member States shall designate the medical authority responsible for this examination and the procedure to be followed.

AddedArticle 10 – paragraph 6 – subparagraph 2: deleted

AddedArticle 10 – paragraph 6 a (new): 6a. 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.

AddedArticle 10 – paragraph 6 b (new): 6b. 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.

AddedArticle 10 – paragraph 7 – subparagraph 1: No person may hold more than one driving licence. A person may however store a mobile driving licence on several devices.

AddedArticle 10 – paragraph 8 a (new): 8a. The European 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.

AddedCurrently, professional drivers often have to visit multiple doctors to have their fitness to drive assessed. Online training would allow general practitioners to become a "one-stop shop".

AddedArticle 11 – paragraph 3: 3. 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, paragraph (1).

AddedArticle 11 a (new): Article 11a / Interim driving licence / 1. 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. / 2. 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.

AddedArticle 12 – paragraph 6 – subparagraph 2: Where 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 earlier.

AddedArticle 12 – paragraph 6 – subparagraph 3 – point f a (new): (fa) the exchange system established for EU driving licences in the third country.

AddedArticle 12 – paragraph 8 a (new): 8a. 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 passengers1a, to ensure a high level of competence and road safety, appropriate linguistic support shall be provided. / For 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. / On the basis of those [delegated acts/ assessment conditions, criteria and methodologies], and in cooperation with the Member States in accordance with the procedure set …

AddedArticle 12 – paragraph 9: 9. 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 paragraphs 7 and 8a, and shall also publish accordingly any relevant changes made in accordance with paragraph 8.

AddedArticle 13 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2 a (new): A 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.

AddedArticle 14 – paragraph 1: 1. 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 marked with the Union code 98.02 specified in Annex I, Part E, to applicants who have reached the age of 17 years.

AddedArticle 14 – paragraph 2 – introductory part: 2. 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 meet the following conditions:

AddedArticle 14 – paragraph 2 – point b: (b) holds an EU driving licence of the relevant category issued more than five years ago;

AddedArticle 14 – paragraph 2 – point e: (e) in the case of a vehicle of categories C and C1 has the qualification and training provided by Directive (EU) 2022/2561.