REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the implementation of Directive 2003/59/EC relating to the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers of certain road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers
Date: 2012-07-12
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European driving licence, bus, carriage of goods, carriage of passengers, commercial vehicle, continuing vocational training, cross-border transport, drivers, professional qualifications

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 12.7.2012  
COM(2012) 385 final 

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE 
COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE 
COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

on the implementation of Directive 2003/59/EC relating to the initial qualification and 
periodic training of drivers of certain road vehicles for the carriage of goods or 
passengers 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

REPORT  FROM  THE  COMMISSION  TO  THE  EUROPEAN  PARLIAMENT,  THE  COUNCIL,  THE 
EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the 
implementation  of  Directive 2003/59/EC  relating  to  the  initial  qualification  and periodic  training of drivers  of 
certain road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers  .................................................................................3 

1. 

1.1. 

1.2. 

1.3. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

2.3. 

General information ................................................................................................................................3 

Introduction.............................................................................................................................................3 

Directive 2003/59/EC — basic elements ................................................................................................3 

Transposition of Directive 2003/59/EC ..................................................................................................3 

Implementation of Directive 2003/59/EC ...............................................................................................4 

Scope of the Directive — Article 1 .........................................................................................................4 

Exemptions — Article 2..........................................................................................................................4 

Qualification and training — Article 3....................................................................................................5 

2.3.1. 

Compulsory initial qualification..............................................................................................................5 

2.3.1.1.  Option combining both course attendance and a test ..............................................................................5 

2.3.1.2.  Option involving tests .............................................................................................................................5 

2.3.1.3.  Accelerated initial qualification ..............................................................................................................6 

2.3.2. 

Compulsory periodic training..................................................................................................................7 

2.3.3. 

Organisation of the training.....................................................................................................................7 

2.3.4. 

Approval of the training centres..............................................................................................................7 

2.4. 

2.5. 

2.6. 

2.7. 

2.8. 

2.9. 

Acquired rights — Article 4....................................................................................................................7 

Initial qualification — Article 5 ..............................................................................................................8 

CPC certifying initial qualification — Article 6 ...................................................................................10 

Periodic training — Article 7 ................................................................................................................10 

CPC certifying periodic training — Article 8 .......................................................................................11 

Place of training — Article 9 ................................................................................................................11 

2.10. 

Community code — Article 10 .............................................................................................................12 

2.11. 

Minimum qualification and training requirements — Annex I .............................................................13 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

Conclusions and recommendations .......................................................................................................13 

General evaluation of the application of Directive 2003/59/EC ...........................................................13 

Main aspects to be improved and recommendations.............................................................................14 

Annex.....................................................................................................................................................................15 

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REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE 
EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

on the implementation of Directive 2003/59/EC relating to the initial qualification and periodic training of 
drivers of certain road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers 

1. 

GENERAL INFORMATION 

1.1. 

Introduction 

Under  Article  13  of  Directive  2003/59/EC1,  the  Commission  is  to  submit  a  report  to  the 
European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the 
Committee  of  the  Regions  making  an  initial  evaluation  of  the  implementation  of  the 
Directive,  in  particular  with  regard  to  the  equivalence  of  the  various  initial  qualification 
systems provided for in Article 3 and their efficiency. 

This  report  is  based  on  the  answers  provided  by  the  Member  States  and  by  Norway  to  a 
questionnaire distributed to the national authorities in February 2011. 

Most  of  the  Member  States  gave  complete  answers  to  the  questions  addressed.  However, 
some did not possess all the necessary data to provide all the information. 

1.2. 

Directive 2003/59/EC — basic elements 

Directive 2003/59/EC on the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers of trucks or 
buses  was  adopted  to  ensure  a  common  level  of  training  for  such  drivers  with  a  view  to 
enhancing road safety in Europe. 

It establishes the mandatory initial qualification and periodic training for professional drivers 
who  are  nationals  of  Member  States  or  who  are  working  for  an  undertaking  based  in  the 
European  Union.  They  aim  to  ensure  that  professional  drivers  have  the  necessary 
qualifications to drive vehicles. The initial qualification and periodic training are attested by a 
certificate issued to drivers, called the Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). 

The training is organised by training centres approved by the Member States. 

1.3. 

Transposition of Directive 2003/59/EC 

Under  Article  14,  the  deadline  for  transposition  of  the  Directive  expired  on  10  September 
2006. 

The deadline for implementation of the initial qualification expired on 10 September 2008 for 
drivers holding a category D1, D1+E, D or D+E (buses) driving licence and on 10 September 
2009 for drivers holding a category C1, C1+E, C or C+E (truck) driving licence. 

All Member States have transposed and implemented the Directive. 

1 

OJ L 226, 10/09/2003, pp. 4–17, as amended. 

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2. 

IMPLEMENTATION OF DIRECTIVE 2003/59/EC 

2.1. 

Scope of the Directive — Article 1 

The Directive applies to the ‘activity of driving’ carried out by drivers who are nationals of a 
Member  State  or  nationals  of  third  countries  employed  by  an  undertaking  established  in  a 
Member State, and use vehicles for which a category C or D driving licence is required. 

It is estimated that the Directive  covers  the drivers of  approximately six million vehicles in 
Europe2. 

Data  coverage  concerning  the  number  of  drivers  from  third  countries  is  incomplete  or 
insufficient. Where available, the numbers are in most cases very low compared to the total 
population of drivers3. 

In  the  majority  of  Member  States,  Certificates  of  Professional  Competence  certifying  the 
initial  qualification  issued  for  C  driver  licences  are  more  common  than  those  issued  for  D 
driver licences. 

2.2. 

Exemptions — Article 2 

The Directive excludes several categories of drivers from its scope4. 

The  majority  of  Member  States  fully  apply  the  exemptions  under  Article  2.  However, 
Romania does not apply the exemptions referred to in Article 2(e), (f) and (g). Norway applies 
all the  exemptions  except  2(f): ‘vehicles used  for  non-commercial carriage or passengers of 
goods, for personal use’. 

According to Article 2(g), ‘This Directive shall not apply to the drivers of vehicles carrying 
material or equipment to be used by the driver in the course of his or her work, provided that 
driving  the  vehicle  is  not  the  driver’s  principal  activity’.  The  implementation  of  this 
exemption  has  led,  for  some  categories  of  drivers5  (e.g.  crane  drivers,  mechanics  driving 
vehicles that transport broken-down agricultural machinery, etc.), to divergent interpretations: 

2 

3 

4 

5 

According  to  the  impact  assessment,  ‘On  measures  enhancing  the  effectiveness  and  efficiency  of  the 
tachograph system’, SEC 2011(948), DG MOVE. 
Some estimations provided by the national authorities: 510 out of 15 000 in Hungary, 100–200 out of 
11 000 in Poland, 190 out of 3 042 in Portugal, 185 out of 9 571 in Romania, 24 out of 9 638 in Slovakia, 
23 out of 10 136 in the United Kingdom, none out of 8 606 in Bulgaria, 3 out of 615 in Lithuania. 
Under Article 2, the Directive does not apply to drivers of: 
(a) vehicles with a maximum authorised speed not exceeding 45 km/h;   
(b) vehicles used by, or under the control of, the armed forces, civil defence, the fire service and forces 
responsible for maintaining public order; 
(c) vehicles undergoing road tests for technical development, repair or maintenance purposes, or new or 
rebuilt vehicles that have not yet been put into service; 
(d) vehicles used in a state of emergency or assigned to rescue missions; 
e) vehicles used in the course of driving lessons for any person wishing to obtain a driving licence or a 
CPC, as provided for in Article 6 and Article 8(1); 
(f) vehicles used for the non-commercial carriage of passengers or goods, for personal use; 
(g) vehicles carrying material or equipment to be used by the driver in the course of his or her work, 
provided that driving the vehicle is not the driver’s principal activity. 
This  information  does  not  come  from  the  questionnaires  returned  by  the  Member  States  but  was 
communicated to the Commission by some national authorities. 

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the drivers concerned apply to be exempted but the public administrations still want to include 
them within the scope of the Directive. Some guidelines to clarify the issue may be useful. 

2.3. 

Qualification and training — Article 3 

Under  Article  3,  the  activity  of  driving  is  subject  to  a  compulsory  initial  qualification  and 
periodic training. 

Section 1 of Annex 1 describes the subjects to be covered by the training. 

The subjects are organised around three main themes: ‘Advanced training in rational driving 
based  on  safety  regulations’,  ‘Application  of  regulations’,  and  ‘Health,  road  and 
environmental safety, service, logistics’. 

These themes are organised into objectives on the basis of the driving licence they refer to. 

2.3.1.  Compulsory initial qualification 

Member States are expected to establish a system of initial qualification consisting either in 
course attendance with a test or in a theoretical and a practical test. 

2.3.1.1.  Option combining both course attendance and a test 

Under the first option, the initial qualification must include a course covering all the subjects 
listed  in  Section  1  of  Annex  1.  Each  trainee  driver  must  also  drive  for  at  least  20  hours 
individually  in  a  vehicle  which  meets  the  requirements  for  test  vehicles  as  defined  in 
Directive 91/439/EEC6. The duration of the training is 280 hours. It should be underlined that 
this  training  is  not  to  be  combined  with  training  for  other  types  of  qualifications  (e.g. 
hazardous goods transport). 

At the end of the training, the competent authorities set the driver a written or oral test. The 
test  must  include  at  least  one  question  on  each  of  the  objectives  for  the  subjects  listed  in 
section 1 of Annex 1. 

2.3.1.2.  Option involving tests 

Under the second option, the competent authorities organise theoretical and practical tests to 
check whether the trainee driver has the necessary level of knowledge required in Section 1 of 
Annex 1 for the subjects and objectives listed there. 

As  mentioned  in  point  2.2  of  Annex  I,  the  theoretical  test  consists  of  at  least  two  parts: 
multiple-choice questions, questions requiring a direct answer, or a combination of both, and 
case studies. The minimum duration of the theoretical test is 4 hours. 

The  practical  test  consists  of  two  parts:  a  90-minute  driving  test  to  assess  the  training  in 
rational driving, based on safety regulations, and a practical test covering at least the ability to 
load  the  vehicle  (driving  licences  C  and  D),  the  ability  to  ensure  the  comfort  and  safety  of 
passengers  (D),  the  ability  to  prevent  criminality  (C,  D),  the  ability  to  prevent  physical  risk 
(C, D) and the ability to assess emergency situations (C, D). 

6 

OJ L 237, 24.8.1991, pp. 1–24. 

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The minimum duration of this test is 30 minutes. 

Fifteen Member States and Norway have opted for the combination of course and test while 
11 Member States employ the theoretical and practical tests. Germany has implemented both 
options in national law and the driver can choose (Table 1). 

Table 1 — The system of initial qualification in the Member States and in Norway 

Tests only 

Austria,  Belgium,  Cyprus,  Greece,  Ireland,  Latvia,  Malta,  Netherlands, 
Portugal, Romania, United Kingdom 

Course  and 
test 

Bulgaria,  Czech  Republic,  Denmark,  Estonia,  Finland,  France,  Hungary, 
Italy,  Lithuania,  Luxembourg,  Norway,  Poland,  Slovakia,  Slovenia,  Spain, 
Sweden 

Both 

Germany 

Member  States  cooperate  with  various  organisations  that  keep  the  data  for  the  initial 
qualification  and  the  periodic  training,  such  as  national  and  regional  authorities7, 
administrations8,  agencies9,  directorates10,  ministries  concerned  with  transport  and  road 
safety11, state enterprises12, and special centres established for this purpose13. 

2.3.1.3.  Accelerated initial qualification 

The initial qualification can be accelerated, based on a compulsory 140-hour course and a test 
and certified by a CPC. 

Each trainee must drive for at least ten hours individually.  

At the end of the training, the competent authorities set the driver a written or oral test. The 
test  must  include  at  least  one  question  on  each  of  the  objectives  for  the  subjects  listed  in 
Section 1 of Annex 1. 

The accelerated initial qualification, which remains optional, is offered by 19 Member States 
and by Norway (see Table 2). 

7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 

Austria, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Romania. 
Norway. 
Finland, Sweden. 
Greece, Italy, Latvia. 
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Poland. 
Lithuania. 
Slovenia. 

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Table 2 — The accelerated initial qualification in the Member States and Norway 

Member  States  that 
offer  the  accelerated 
initial qualification 

Bulgaria,  Belgium,  Czech  Republic,  Denmark,  Estonia,  Finland, 
France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, 
Portugal,  Romania,  Slovakia,  Slovenia,  Spain,  Sweden,  and 
Norway 

Member  States  that 
the 
do  not 
accelerated 
initial 
qualification 

offer 

Austria,  Cyprus,  Greece,  Ireland,  Latvia,  Malta,  Netherlands 
United Kingdom 

Under  the  Directive,  a  Member  State  may  also  authorise  a  driver  to  drive  on  its  territory 
before obtaining a CPC. 

2.3.2.  Compulsory periodic training 

Members States are expected to establish a system of periodic training based on compulsory 
course attendance, certified by a CPC. 

2.3.3.  Organisation of the training 

The  training  is  generally  provided  by  driving  schools,  but  it  can  also  be  provided  by  non- 
profit bodies, vocational schools, vocational colleges, high schools14, or secondary schools15. 
In some Member States16 the training is partially funded by the public sector. 

2.3.4.  Approval of the training centres 

Under  Section  5  of  Annex  1,  the  training  centres  providing  the  initial  qualification  and 
periodic  training  must  be  approved  by  the  Member  States’  competent  authorities.  Approval 
may be given only in response to a written application. The application must be accompanied 
by  documents  on 
instructors’ 
qualifications;  the  premises  where  the  courses  are  given,  the  vehicle  fleet  used;  and  the 
number of participants. 

training  programme  and 

teaching  methods; 

the 

the 

The  competent  authority  will  give  approval  in  writing  provided  that  the  training  is  given  in 
accordance with the documents accompanying the application. 

It is entitled to send authorised persons to be present at the training courses. 

2.4. 

Acquired rights — Article 4 

The Directive exempts from the requirement to obtain the initial qualification any drivers who 
hold  a  category  D  driving  licence  issued  before  September  2008  and  drivers  who  hold  a 
category C driving licence issued before September 2009. 

14 
15 
16 

This happens, for instance, in Bulgaria. 
This is the case with Sweden. 
Besides Luxembourg, where the initial training is funded by the public sector, in various Member States 
the national employment agencies provide some kind of funding for the training. 

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No major difficulty has been reported with recognition of the acquired rights of national and 
non-national drivers by the enforcement authorities. 

The  national  administrations  have  provided  information  to  the  enforcement  system  by  e.g. 
circulating the Directive and transposition laws, organising ad hoc training and meetings with 
police officers, sending letters and administrative acts, publishing guides on the internet, etc. 
In  some  Member  States,  the  regulations  have  been  issued  for  public  consultation,  and  the 
police  was  one  of  the  consultative  bodies  in  the  hearing  process  17.  In  addition,  the 
enforcement authority in Romania and Norway is also the body that issues the CPC. 

The enforcement authorities may use many means to verify the acquired rights of national and 
non-national drivers, in particular by checking the date when the driving licence was issued or 
its  authenticity.  They  can  also  contact  the  issuing  authority  or  consult,  where  available,  the 
database containing the data for the initial qualification and periodic training. 

According  to  the  Member  States,  this  aspect  of  the  Directive  does  not  create  any  major 
problem.  However,  a  difficulty  arises  when  the  driving  licence  is  renewed  and  no  longer 
contains the date when it was issued for the first time. There is also uncertainty as to how to 
enforce regulations because the various Member States and Norway are at different stages in 
applying the Directive. This situation concerns only a few drivers and is easily solved by the 
direct exchange of information between national authorities. 

2.5. 

Initial qualification — Article 5 

The Directive establishes the minimum age for driving vehicles intended for the carriage of 
goods or passengers, in accordance with different criteria such as the driving licence category, 
the duration of the training to obtain the initial qualification, and the distance travelled. 

17 

This is the case for Malta and Norway. 

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Table 3 — Summary of requirements concerning the initial qualification for new drivers 
(Art. 5) 

Vehicle 

Licence 
requirement 

CPC requirement  Age 

Carriage of goods 

C — C+E 

Normal 

C1 — C1+E 

Accelerated 

C — C+E  

Accelerated 

Carriage 
passengers 

of 

D — D+E 

Normal 

18 

18 

21 

18 

On  regular  services 
and route ≤ 50 km 

Accelerated 

D — D+E 

Normal 

Within their territory 

21 

21 

20  within  their  territory.  It 
can  be  reduced  to  18  when 
there are no passengers. 

Accelerated 

D1 — D1+E 

Normal 

23 

18 

Within their territory 

Accelerated 

21 

Obtaining  an  initial  qualification  does  not  require  the  corresponding  driving  licence  to  be 
obtained beforehand. 

Therefore,  in  13  Member  States  and  in  Norway18,  the  initial  qualification  can  be  combined 
with training to obtain the driving licence (see Table 4). 

18 

Norway  requires  trainees  to  achieve  a  certain  degree  of  progress  in  the  driving  licence  programme 
before starting the initial qualification programme. 

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Table 4 — Combination of C or D driving licence training and the initial qualification in 
the Member States and Norway 

States 

that 
Member 
combine the C or D driving 
licence  training  and  the 
initial qualification 

Member  States  that  do  not 
combine the C or D driving 
licence  training  and  the 
initial qualification 

Austria,  Belgium,  Denmark,  Estonia,  Germany,  Greece, 
Ireland,  Latvia,  Lithuania,  Malta,  Netherlands  (partially), 
Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom 

Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, 
Luxembourg,  Poland,  Portugal,  Romania,  Slovakia, 
Slovenia, Spain 

Some  of  the  Member  States  that  combine  the  driving  licence  training  and  the  initial 
qualification have opted to combine training for C and D driving licences with both the initial 
qualification  and  the  accelerated  initial  qualification,  while  others  require  trainees  to  have 
achieved a certain degree of progress in the driving licence programme before starting on the 
initial qualification. 

Concerning  the  issuing  of  a  CPC  before  the  corresponding  driving  licence  is  obtained,  the 
majority  of  Member  States  do  not  allow  this.  However,  Belgium  accepts  this  for  combined 
training,  Austria  requires  only  the  theoretical  test  to  be  passed  in  advance,  and  Lithuania 
requires the driver to possess only a B category driving licence. Although, in general, Norway 
requires a driving licence to be held before a CPC is issued, it exempts drivers undergoing a 
vocational apprenticeship or traineeship. 

2.6. 

CPC certifying initial qualification — Article 6 

The Member States issue the CPC to drivers who have attended the training and passed the 
test or who have passed the theoretical and practical tests, depending on the option chosen. 

If a Member State has chosen the option consisting in the course and test, or the accelerated 
initial qualification, the training course covers the subjects listed in Section 1 of Annex 1 of 
the Directive. It is followed by a written or oral test. 

If  a  Member  State  opts  for  just  the  tests,  the  drivers  must  pass  the  theoretical  and  practical 
tests as described in point 2.2 of Annex 1. 

Member  States  have  not  reported  any  difficulties  concerning  the  implementation  of  the 
Article. 

2.7. 

Periodic training — Article 7 

Periodic  training  should  enable  drivers  to  update  the  knowledge  essential  for  their  work.  It 
aims to expand on and review some of the subjects described in section 1 of Annex I. 

The duration of the periodic training is 35 hours every five years, given in sessions of at least 
seven hours, as mentioned in Section 4 of Annex I. 

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The  majority  of  Member  States  allow  drivers  to  attend  single  sessions  of  seven  hours. 
However, they set specific requirements mainly as to the period of time within which the 35 
hours of training should be completed. 

For  some  Member  States,  this  period  can  be  12,  6  or  3  months,  even  one  week19.  Other 
Member States have also specified the number of 7-hour sessions into which the training is 
divided: e.g. two course sessions of 7 hours, two separate modules comprising 3 training days 
for 7 hours and 2 training days for 7 hours, 5 consecutive days or two sessions of 3 days and 2 
days, respectively20, etc. 

2.8. 

CPC certifying periodic training — Article 8 

Members States issue the CPC to drivers who have completed the periodic training. 

The periodic training must be taken by new drivers within five years after obtaining the CPC 
for initial qualification, and by drivers who hold acquired rights, following the timetable set 
by their Member States. 

The Directive exempts from the requirement to obtain the initial qualification any drivers who 
hold  a  category  D  driving  licence  issued  before  September  2008  and  drivers  who  hold  a 
category  C  driving  licence  issued  before  September  2009.  For  drivers  with  such  acquired 
rights,  Member  States  have  adopted  national  timetables  for  completing  the  first  course  of 
periodic training by the deadline of 2015 (category D driving licence) and 2016 (category C 
driving licence). 

Mutual  recognition  of  the  transitional  periods  decided  by  the  Member  States  has  been 
agreed21.  Accordingly,  until  the  deadline  of  2015  (vehicle  category  D)  and  2016  (vehicle 
category C), drivers cannot be penalised in any Member State for not having completed the 
periodic training. 

Member  States  have  chosen  different  criteria  to  establish  their  national  timetables  for  the 
periodic  training  of  drivers  holding  acquired  rights.  These  can  be  based  for  instance  on  the 
date on which the driving licence was issued, on the driver’s birthday, on the driving licence 
expiry date, on the age of the driver, or on the driving licence number. 

National timetables are included in the Annex. 

2.9. 

Place of training — Article 9 

Drivers who are nationals of an EU Member State must obtain the initial qualification in the 
Member State where they normally reside, while drivers who are nationals of third countries 
must obtain the  qualification in  the Member  State where  their  employer  is established  or in 
the Member State where they obtained a work permit. 

Drivers must undergo the periodic training in the Member State where they normally reside or 
where they work. 

19 
20 
21 

Denmark, Norway, France and Latvia, respectively. 
Luxembourg, Romania and France, respectively. 
Agreement was reached at the Committee meeting on 27 May 2009. A note issued by the Commission 
services was then circulated to all Committee members for information. 

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Regarding  the  recognition  of  previous  training  for  drivers  who  change  their  country  of 
residence  or  country  of  work,  the  majority  of  the  Member  States  require  a  certificate  or 
evidence of the training undertaken22. 

Member States have not reported any difficulty concerning the implementation of this Article. 
In  some  isolated  cases,  however,  they  do  not  always  recognise  previous  training  partially 
followed in another Member State and only accept training completed in their territory.  

2.10.  Community code — Article 10 

The  competent  authorities  enter  code  95,  which  serves  as  proof  of  compliance  with  the 
training requirements, either in the driving licence or in a separate driver qualification card. 

13 Member States have opted to enter the code in the driver qualification card and 12 Member 
States  enter  it  in  the  driving  licence.  In  Finland  both  options  are  possible,  while  in 
Luxembourg  the  code  is  marked  on  the  driving  licence  and  also  on  the  card  only  for  non-
resident drivers. 

Norway enters code 95 in the certificate of professional competence. In future, it will also be 
entered in the driving licence (Table 5). 

Table 5 — Code 95 

Member  States  that 
enter  code  95  in  the 
driving licence 

Member  States  that 
enter  code  95  in  the 
driver  qualification 
card 

Austria,  Belgium,  Germany,  Greece,  Italy,  Latvia,  Lithuania, 
Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia 

Bulgaria,  Cyprus,  Czech  Republic,  Denmark,  Estonia,  France, 
Hungary,  Ireland,  Portugal,  Romania,  Slovakia,  Spain,  Sweden, 
United Kingdom 

Finland  

Both options are possible 

Luxembourg 

The code is marked on the driving licence. It is entered in the card 
only for non-resident drivers. 

Norway  

Code 95 is entered in the certificate of professional competence. 
It will also be entered in the driving licence in future 

22 

In Luxembourg, the Minister of Transport decides on a case-by-case basis, after taking into account the 
opinion of the commission responsible at the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure. 
In  Malta,  the  authorities  run  a  check  and  exchange  data  with  the  competent  authority  of  the  driver’s 
Member State. 

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2.11.  Minimum qualification and training requirements — Annex I 

As  mentioned  above  (section  3.3),  Section  1  of  Annex  I  lists  the  subjects  to  be  taken  into 
account by Member States when establishing the initial qualification and periodic training for 
drivers. 

Section 2, concerning the compulsory initial qualification under Article 3(1)(a), requires each 
trainee  driver  to  drive  for  at  least  20  hours  individually  accompanied  by  an  instructor.  For 
goods  drivers  wishing  to  broaden  their  qualifications  in  order  to  carry  passengers,  or  vice 
versa,  since  they  hold  a  CPC,  they  only  need  to  repeat  the  parts  specific  to  the  new 
qualification and drive for 5 hours. For the accelerated initial qualification, trainees must drive 
for 10 and 2½, hours respectively. 

Under Section 2, (point 2.1) of Annex I, each driver may drive for a maximum of 8 hours of 
the required 20 hours on special terrain or in a top-of-the-range simulator. For the accelerated 
initial  qualification,  trainees  may  drive  for  a  maximum  of  4  of  the  required  10  hours  on 
special terrain or in a top-of-the-range simulator. 

For  the  majority  of  Member  States,  trainees  do  not  need  to  drive  on  special  terrain  or  in  a 
simulator. Nonetheless, some provide for this as an option. 

In short, Member States have not faced any major problems in applying Annex I. Some issues 
were  reported  by  Austria  and  Slovenia  regarding  the  need  for  practical  training  or  the 
sufficiency of theoretical lessons. Moreover, it is worth noting that Belgium considers Annex 
I  to  be  oriented  more  to  drivers  involved  in  international  transport  than  those  driving  short 
distances. 

3. 

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

3.1. 

General evaluation of the application of Directive 2003/59/EC 

By adopting Directive 2003/59/EC, the legislator has contributed to ensuring a common level 
of training for professional drivers in the European Union with a view to generally enhancing 
road safety. 

According  to  the  findings  of  the  evaluation,  there  are  several  differences  among  Member 
States in the application of Directive 2003/59/EC. 

First, the Directive allows Member States to choose whether the initial qualification takes the 
form  of  a  course  and  test  or  just  involves  tests.  The  periodic  training  can  also  vary  in 
structure, since it must be taken as a single course in some Member States while in others the 
35 hours can be spread over different years. 

Second,  training  programmes  and  teaching  methods  are  not  standardised:  the  content  of  the 
courses differs between Member States as does the way in which training is provided, e.g. in 
some  Member  States  the  use  of  computer-based  modules  is  allowed  alongside  traditional 
teaching. 

Furthermore,  the  requirements  for  trainers  and  the  premises  where  courses  are  given  differ 
from one Member State to another. 

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Last, the number of drivers per class, the fleet of vehicles, and the availability of a top-of-the 
range simulator depend on the testing centre. 

Nevertheless, the equivalence of the qualification systems and the efficiency in ensuring the 
required qualification is guaranteed by the national training systems, which have to meet the 
requirements  in  Annex  1  regarding  the  minimum  subjects  to  be  taught  and  the  structure  of 
tests.  The  monitoring  of  the  training  centres  by  the  national  authorities  also  makes  an 
important  contribution  to  ensuring  that  the  training  is  aligned  with  the  objectives  of  the 
Directive. 

3.2.  Main aspects to be improved and recommendations 

Building upon the findings concerning the application of the Directive, a few specific issues 
may need to be improved. 

As regards the exemptions listed in Article 2 of the Directive, the fact that several Member 
States apply different exemptions may cause problems for intra-EU cross-border traffic. 

Although  the  Commission  has  so  far  no  knowledge  of  any  such  cases,  it  is  in  general 
advisable  for  professional  drivers  and  undertakings  to  be  aware  of  the  differences  between 
Member States concerning the application of Article 2 of the Directive. 

It may therefore be necessary for the Commission to issue some guidelines, over the medium 
term, in order to clarify the scope of the exemptions under Article 2. 

Regarding  the  national  differences  in  the  timetabling  of  periodic  training,  the  exchange  of 
national timetables should help overcome any difficulty that enforcement authorities may face 
when checking drivers from abroad. This can be done within the Committee established under 
Article 12. 

Given that the Directive does not cover this issue, it is essential to maintain close cooperation 
between Member States, in particular within the Professional Drivers Training Committee. 

Against this background, a list of existing national contact points has been established by the 
Commission in order to facilitate cooperation between Member States. 

Finally, it would appear useful in future to closely involve social partners and consult them on 
a regular basis. 

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National  timetables  for  implementation  of  periodic  training  for  drivers  with  acquired 
rights (deadlines for attending the first course) 

Annex 

Austria 

Belgium 

Cat. D: 10.9.2013 
Cat. C: 10.9.2014 
Cat. D: 10.9.2015 
Cat. C: 10.9.2016 

Cat. D driving licence issued: 

before 31 12 1970: 31.12.2009 
from 1.1.1971 to 31.12..1980: 31.12.2010 
from 1.1.1981 to 31.12.1990: 31.12. 2011 
from 1.1.1991 to 31.12.2000: 31.12. 2012 
from 1.1.2001 to 10.09.2008: 10.9.2013 

Cat. C driving licence issued: 

before 31.12.1970: 31.12.2010 
from 1.1.1971 to 31.12.1980: 31.12.2011 
from 1.1.1981 to 31.12.1990: 31.12.2012 
from 1.1.1991 to 31.12. 2000: 31.12.2013 
from 1.1.2001 to 10.9.2009: 10.9.2014 

Bulgaria 

Cyprus 

All: 26.1.2012 

Czech Republic 

All: 1.8.2011 

Denmark 

Cat. D: 

Date of birth 
1, 2 or 3 
4, 5 or 6 
7, 8 or 9 
10, 11 or 12 
13, 14 or 15 
16, 17 or 18 
19, 20 or 21 
22, 23 or 24 
25, 26 or 27 
28, 29, 30 or 31             31.12.2013 

Deadlines 
30
.6.2009 
31
.12. 2009 
30.6.2010 
31.12.2010 
30.6.2011 
31.12.2011 
30.6.2012 
31.12.2012 
30.6.2013 

Cat. C: 

Date of birth 
1, 2 or 3 
4, 5 or 6 
7, 8 or 9 
10, 11 or 12 
13, 14 or 15 
16, 17 or 18 
19, 20 or 21 
22, 23 or 24 
25, 26 or 27 
28, 29, 30 or 31 

Deadlines  
30
.6.2010 
31.12.2010 
30.6.2011 
31.12.2011 
30.6.2012 
31
.12.2012 
30
.6.2013 
31.12.2013 
30
.6.2014 
31.12.2014  

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Estonia 

Finland 

France 

Germany 

Greece 

Hungary 

Ireland 

Italy  

Latvia 

Lithuania 

Luxembourg 

Malta 

The Netherlands 

Poland 

Portugal 

All: 1.9.2011 

Cat. D: 10.9.2013 
Cat. C: 10.9.2014 
Cat. D: 10.9.2011 
Cat. C: 10.9.2012 
Cat. D: 10.9.2015 
Cat. C: 10 .9.2016 
Cat. D: 10.9.2013 
Cat. C: 10.9.2014 
Cat. D: 10.9.2013 
Cat. C: 10.9.2014 
Cat. D: 10.9.2009 
Cat. C: 10.9.2010 

Cat. D: 10.9.2013 
Cat. C: 10.9.2014 
Cat. D: 10.9.2013 
Cat. C: 10.9.2014 
Cat. D: 10.9.2013 
Cat. C: 10.9.2014 
Cat. D: 10.9.2015 
Cat. C: 10.9.2016 
Cat. D: 9.9.2013 
Cat. C: 9.9.2014 
Cat. D: 10.9.2015 
Cat. C: 10.9.2016 

All: 12.9.2014 

Cat. D: 

drivers who are currently: 

30 years old: by 10.9.2011 
between 31 and 40 years old: by 10.9.2012 
between 41 and 50 years old: by 10.9.2013 
over 50 years old: by 10.9.2015 

Cat. C: 

drivers who are currently: 

30 years old: by 10.9.2012 
between 31 and 40 years old: by 10.9.2013 
between 41 and 50 years old: by 10.9.2014 
50 years old: by 10.9.2016. 
The system has been in place since 2003 

Romania 

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Slovenia 

Slovakia 

Cat. D: 1.10.2008 
Cat. C: 1.10.2009 

Cat. D: 10.9.2013 
Cat. C: 10 .9.2014 

Spain 

a) Cat. D driving licence ending with: 

1 or 2: 10.9.2011 

3 or 4: 10.9.2012 
5 or 6: 10.9.2013 
7 or 8: 10.9.2014 
9 or 0: 10.9.2015 

b) Cat. C driving licence ending with: 

Sweden 

United Kingdom 

Norway 

1 or 2: 10.9.2012 
3 or 4: 10.9.2013 
5 or 6: 10.9.2014 
7 or 8: 10.9.2015 
9 or 0: 10.9.2016 

Cat. D: 10.9.2015 
Cat. C: 10.9. 2016 
Cat. D: 9.9.2013 
Cat. C: 9.9.2014 

Cat.  D  driving  licence  expiring  between  10.9.2011  and  10.9.2015:    date  of 
expiry of the driving licence. 

Cat. D driving licence expiring date: 

2008: 2011 
2009: 2012 
2010: 2013 
2011: 10.9.2011 
from 11.9. 2015: 2015  
2016: 2014  
2017: 2015 
2018: 2014 

Cat. C driving licence which expires between 10.9.2012 and 10.9.2016: date 
of expiry of the driving licence. 

Cat. C driving licence expiring date:  

2009: 2012 
2010: 2013  
2011: 2014 
before 10.9.2012: 2012  
from 11.9.2016: 2016  
2017: 2015  
2018: 2016  

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EN 

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