Commission Directive 2008/65/EC of 27 June 2008 amending Directive 91/439/EEC on driving licences
Date: 2008-06-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: driving instruction, driving licence, harmonisation of standards, road safety, technical standard, technological change, traffic regulations

L 168/36

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

28.6.2008

COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2008/65/EC

of 27 June 2008

amending Directive 91/439/EEC on driving licences

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Article 1

Directive 91/439/EEC is amended as follows:

Having regard to Council Directive 91/439/EEC of 29 July 1991
on driving licences (1), and in particular Article 7a (2) thereof,

Whereas:

1.

in Annex I, point (2), concerning page 4 of the licence and
in Annex Ia, point (2), concerning page 2 of the licence,
point
the wording of Community code 10.02 is
replaced by the following:

(a)(12),

The list of codes as described in Annex I and Ia to
Directive 91/439/EEC needs to be adapted.

‘10.02. Vehicles without a clutch pedal (or lever operated

manually for categories A or A1)’;

Community code 78,
to drive
vehicles within a driving licence category to vehicles
with automatic transmission only, should be amended
in view of scientific and technical progress in the field.

restricting the right

2.

in Annex I, point (2), concerning page 4 of the licence and
in Annex Ia, point (2), concerning page 2 of the licence,
point
the wording of Community code 78 is
replaced by the following:

(a)(12),

The minimum requirements for driving test vehicles as
laid down in Annex II of Directive 91/439/EEC need to
be
in the definition of
change
Community code 78.

aligned with the

The minimum requirements for theory and practical tests
as laid down in Annex II of Directive 91/439/EEC should
be reviewed in order to bring the testing requirements
into line with the demands of daily traffic with regard to
the use of tunnels so as to improve the road safety level
of this particular part of the road infrastructure.

The periods laid down in points 5.2 and 6.2.5 of An-
to Directive 91/439/EEC have proved to be
nex II
inadequate for the satisfactory implementation of
the
necessary measures. A supplementary period should be
granted.

Directive 91/439/EEC should therefore be amended
accordingly.

The measures provided for
conformity with the opinion of
driving licences,

in this Directive are in
the Committee on

(1) OJ L 237, 24.8.1991, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Directive

2006/103/EC (OJ L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 344).

‘78. Valid only for vehicles without a clutch pedal (or lever

operated manually for categories A or A1)’;

3. Annex II is amended as follows:

(a)

in point 2.1.3, the following indent is added:

‘— safe driving in road tunnels’;

(b) in point 5.1, the second and the third paragraphs are

replaced by the following:

‘If an applicant takes the test of skills and behaviour on a
lever operated
vehicle without a clutch pedal
(or
shall be
this
manually for categories A and A1)
recorded on any licence issued on the basis of such a
test. Licences with this indication shall be valid only for
driving vehicles without a clutch pedal (or lever operated
manually for categories A or A1).

“Vehicle with automatic transmission” means a vehicle in
which no clutch pedal (or lever operated manually for
categories A or A1) is present.’

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

28.6.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 168/37

(c)

in point 5.2,
following:

the final paragraph is replaced by the

the date

‘Testing vehicles for categories B+E, C, C+E, C1, C1+E, D,
D+E, D1 and D1+E which are not in conformity with
the minimum criteria given above but which were in use
on or before
specified in Article 3 of
Commission Directive 2008/65/EC (*), may still be
used until 30 September 2013. The
requirements
related to the load to be carried by these vehicles may
be implemented by Member States up to 30 September
2013.
___________
(*) OJ L 168, 28.6.2008, p. 36.’

States adopt those provisions, they shall contain a reference
to this Directive or be accompanied by such a reference on
the occasion of their official publication. Member States shall
determine how such reference is to be made.

2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the
texts of the essential provisions of national
law which they
adopt in the field governed by this Directive.

Article 3

This Directive shall enter into force on the 20th day following
the European
that of
Communities.

its publication in the Official

Journal of

(d) in the second paragraph of point 6.2.5, ‘five years after
is replaced by ‘by

this Directive’

entry into force of
30 September 2008’;

Article 4

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

(e)

in points 6.3.8, 7.4.8 and 8.3.8 the word ‘tunnels’
added to the list of special road features covered.

is

Article 2

Done at Brussels, 27 June 2008.

1. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations
and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this
Directive by 30 September 2008 at
the latest. They shall
forthwith inform the Commission thereof. When Member

For the Commission

Antonio TAJANI
Vice-President