2023-12-04 12:10:20
The EU member states have agreed on a common position on reforming EU driving license rules. Accordingly, driving licenses should be renewed every 15 years – shorter deadlines in old age should be left to the respective countries, it said in a release from the council on Monday. Driving ability tests should not be mandatory either. Alternatively, EU states can rely on drivers’ self-assessments.
The possible check of the state of health when renewing a driving license, as is common in some EU countries, caused a stir in Austria. Austria has always taken a very negative position here, said Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) before today’s Council meeting in Brussels. She assumes that such health checks will continue to be off the table after negotiations with the EU Parliament.
In any case, she clearly advocated that Austria rely on the drivers’ self-assessment when implementing the directive. This is the most practical solution, says Gewessler. The minister also spoke out against shortening the validity period of driving licenses for older people.
For her colleague from Berlin, the German Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP), the self-assessment also goes too far. He fears that this will lead to more bureaucracy.
As a next step, the so-called trilogue negotiations with the European Parliament can now begin. However, the EU MPs must first agree on their own position.
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