·¬ÇÑÊÓƵwelcomes today¡¯s vote by the European Parliament¡¯s Transport and Tourism Committee endorsing the provisional Driving Licence Directive agreement reached during trilogue. This follows recent formal approval by the Council¡¯s Committee of Permanent Representatives, the first of the EU co-legislators to back the deal. The reform responds to long-standing industry calls to address driver shortages and promote the digitalisation of driving licences while upholding high road safety standards.
Today¡¯s endorsement of the EU Driving Licence Directive revision by the European Parliament¡¯s Transport and Tourism Committee marks a key milestone for several sector priorities, including clarifying minimum professional driving age rules; introducing accompanied driving schemes for young professionals; expanding access to alternative fuel vehicles; establishing a harmonised digital driving licence; and creating an EU-level framework for recognising third-country driving licences.
·¬ÇÑÊÓƵEU Advocacy Director Raluca Marian said, ¡°Today¡¯s vote confirms strong political backing for a more modern, safer and more accessible framework for all drivers, including professional drivers. This sends a clear message that Europe is serious about supporting its transport workforce, through legal clarity, digitalisation and clearer recognition of third-country drivers¡¯ skills.¡±
Minimum age clarity for professional drivers
The agreement provides long-awaited legal clarity on minimum professional driving age rules. The revised directive will reflect provisions already in vigour in other EU legislation, allowing professional drivers holding the mandatory Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) to operate freight vehicles, nationally and internationally, from the age of 18. It also confirms 21 as the minimum driving age for bus and coach drivers.
However, ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵregrets the missed opportunity to remove the current 50km limit for bus drivers under 21, a restriction that continues to hinder efforts to attract young talent.
¡°We look forward to building on this momentum in the desired revision of the EU CPC rules, with more consideration for passenger transport realities and needs,¡± said Raluca Marian.
Accompanied driving: opening doors for young talent
In a positive step to make the profession more attractive to young people and promote road safety, the agreement allows Member States to introduce mandatory accompanied driving schemes from the age of 17 for B licence categories and optional schemes for C, C1 and C1E licences. This scheme enables younger drivers with a CPC to gain supervised experience. Accompanying drivers must meet specific conditions, including completing targeted training (between 7 and 14 hours).
Digital driving licences by 2030
The revision of the directive introduces a harmonised digital driving licence ¨C which will be rolled out by the end of 2030 ¨C integrated into the European Digital Identity Wallet. Drivers will retain the right to request a physical licence. This step marks an important milestone towards a paperless and more inclusive mobility system, enhancing efficiency and regulatory compliance across the EU.
Boosting alternative fuel vehicle access
The agreement allows individuals who have held a category B licence to drive alternative fuel vehicles, both passenger and freight, weighing up to 4.25 tonnes. This expands on the original European Commission proposal and acknowledges the evolving nature of vehicle design and decarbonisation needs.
Progress on access for third-country drivers
The revised directive paves the way for an EU-level framework to facilitate the exchange of third-country driving licences. A future implementing act will list third countries meeting EU equivalency standards. They will benefit from clearer and simplified procedures by not requiring additional renewal conditions or special codes.
Nevertheless, the agreement does not resolve the pressing issue for the recognition of third-country professional driver qualifications. Without mutual recognition of their professional driving qualifications, third-country drivers remain unable to be employed by EU operators. This gap needs to be addressed to unlock the full potential of third-country talent.
¡°As with the removal of limitations for young bus drivers, the desired revision of CPC rules would also provide the opportunity to finalise the work started by this reform to simplify the access of third-country drivers to the EU labour market. With the recognition of third-country driving licences, we are halfway there,¡± said Raluca Marian.
Next steps
Following today¡¯s vote and the earlier positive vote in the Council, the next step is formal adoption by the European Parliament¡¯s plenary, expected this autumn, followed by final approval by the Council.
As both legislative expert bodies have already endorsed the agreement with solid majorities, the remaining steps should be a formality. Once adopted, Member States will be required to transpose the revised directive into national legislation, with implementation periods ranging from four to six years.