COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT Accompanying the documents Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on driving licences, amending Directive (EU) 2022/2561 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Regulation (EU) 2018/1724 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Directive 2006/126/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission Regulation (EU) No 383/2012 and Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the Union-wide effect of certain driving disqualifications
Date: 2023-03-01
Institutions: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, EU national, administrative cooperation, driving licence, free movement of persons, health control, penalty, road safety, traffic offence, transport accident

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 1.3.2023  SWD(2023) 129 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT  Accompanying the documents Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on driving licences, amending Directive (EU) 2022/2561 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Regulation (EU) 2018/1724 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Directive 2006/126/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission Regulation (EU) No 383/2012       and       Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL        on the Union-wide effect of certain driving disqualifications       {COM(2023) 127 final} - {SEC(2023) 350 final} - {SWD(2023) 128 final}  
 
 
Executive Summary Sheet 

Impact assessment on a proposal for a revision of Directive on driving licences and a legislative 
proposal for a Directive on the Union wide effect of certain driving disqualifications, which was planned 
as an integral part of the DL Directive but due to legal considerations has been separated and is presented 
as an integral, separate legislative proposal for a new directive. 

A. Need for action 

What is the problem and why is it a problem at EU level?  

The ex-post evaluation of Directive (EU) 2006/126, concluded in 2022 (SWD(2022)17 final), found that 
the Directive is not fully effective in achieving its objectives.  
The  implementation  of  the  Directive  has  led  to  an  improvement  of  road  safety,  thus  contributing  to  the 
ambitious EU targets (Vision Zero and Valletta Declaration). However, more efforts are needed to meet 
these targets.  
As regards the free movement of citizens in the EU, the Directive was considered to have had a positive 
impact,  but  certain  provisions  still  result  in  administrative  burden  or  obstacles  to  the  free  movement  of 
persons in specific cases. Finally, the evaluation also identified digitalisation as an area for possible further 
simplification. 

What should be achieved? 

The general objectives are to improve road safety and facilitate the free movement of persons.  
For road safety, this should be brought about through the improvement of drivers’ skills and knowledge, a 
change  in  the  behaviour  of  drivers  and  reducing  the  number  of  physically  or  mentally  unfit  drivers  on 
Union  roads.  At  the  same  time,  unnecessary  barriers  to  free  movement  resulting  from  administrative 
procedures should be removed. 

What is the value added of action at the EU level (subsidiarity)?  

Without  EU  intervention,  cooperation  on  driving  licences  between  Member  States  would  be  ensured  by 
means of bi- or multilateral agreements which would result in higher complexity of the licencing system 
and a higher administrative burden for the licence holders. Moreover, the conditions  to  obtain a driving 
licence would vary, resulting in an unequal treatment of EU citizens and less effectiveness in terms of road 
safety.  

B. Solutions 

What are the various options to achieve the objectives? Is there a preferred  option or not? If not, 
why? 

The retained policy measures have been grouped in three policy options (PO-A, PO-B and PO-C). 
PO-A is the update of the Directive considering lessons learnt and integrating societal, technological and 
scientific evolutions. It does not change the scope of the Directive and it contains measures which are also 
in PO-B and PO-C. 
PO-B  includes  additional  efforts  to  meet  the  EU  targets  on  road  safety  targeting  all  drivers  (including 
novice drivers) in the domains of skills and knowledge, medical fitness, and dangerous behaviour. It also 
removes some barriers on free movement faced by holders of foreign licences and applicants. 
Finally, PO-C mainly reinforces the road safety measures introduced by PO-B regarding medical fitness 
and dangerous behaviour. It also extends the scope of the Directive to new vehicles such as tractors.  
PO-B  was  selected  as  the  preferred  policy  option  because  it  is  more  effective  in  reaching  the  policy 
objectives than PO-A and PO-C. PO-B has the highest net benefits, and is more efficient than PO-C, also 
due  to  much  lower  adjustment  costs  for  citizens.  PO-B  is  also  legally  easier  to  implement  than  PO-C 

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regarding Member States rules and procedures. 

What are different stakeholders' views? Who supports which option?  

There  is  widespread  support  across  stakeholders  as  regards  the  need  for  further  action  at  EU  level  to 
improve road safety.  
Public authorities generally favour an improvement of the effectiveness of the Directive and its extension 
to matters related to novice drivers. They also often highlight the legal challenges to overcome regarding 
the introduction of measures addressing the dangerous behaviour of drivers.  
The private sector, and more generally road users, are generally calling for simplification.  

C. Impacts of the preferred option 

What are the benefits of the preferred option (if any, otherwise of main ones)?                                     

Under  PO-B,  positive  societal  effects  are  expected  in  terms  of  impacts  on  road  safety  and  on  the  free 
movement of persons.  
1,153 lives are estimated to be saved and 11,020 serious injuries avoided over 2025-2050, relative to the 
baseline,  that  in  monetary  terms  amounts  to  around  EUR  7.1  billion,  expressed  as  the  reduction  in  the 
external costs of accidents. 
In  addition,  the  measures  are  expected  to  remove  unjustified  or  unnecessary  obstacles  to  obtain,  have 
recognised  or  renew  driving  rights.  Most  notably  for  residents  in  the  European  Union  and  holders  of 
foreign  driving  licences  obtained  in  another  Member  State  than  their  country  of  citizenship,  drivers  of 
alternatively  fuelled  vans  and  campervans,  persons  suffering  from  diabetes  mellitus  and  professional 
drivers. 
Finally,  positive  effects  are  expected  for  the  public  administrations  (EUR  4.8  billion  cost  savings),  the 
private  sector  (EUR  1.5  billion  cost  savings)  and  citizens  (EUR  6.6  billion  cost  savings)  relative  to  the 
baseline,  expressed  as  present  value  over  the  2025-2050  period,  notably  thanks  to  the  proposed 
simplifications. 

What are the costs of the preferred option (if any, otherwise of main ones)?                                    

The  changes  to  the  procedures  for  determining  the  medical  fitness  to  drive  are  expected  to  result  in 
adjustment  costs  for  citizens  aged  50  years  old  or  less  of  EUR  716.2  to  1159.1  million  relative  to  the 
baseline, expressed as present value over the 2025-2050 period.  
For the private sector, adjustment costs for general practitioners are estimated at EUR 57.7 million relative 
to the baseline, expressed as present value over the 2025-2050 period, for (online) training courses. 
Adjustment  costs  for  the  European  Commission  are  estimated  at  EUR  0.7  to  1.1  million  relative  to  the 
baseline,  while  those  for  Member  States  administrations  at  EUR  63.2  million.  In  addition,  enforcement 
costs  of  EUR  26.3  million  are  expected  for  Member  States  administrations,  relative  to  the  baseline, 
expressed  as  present  value  over  the  2025-2050  period,  for  the  cross-border  enforcement  of  driving 
disqualifications.    

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What are the impacts on SMEs and competitiveness?  

The impacts on SMEs are expected to be positive. 
Road transport operators, mainly SMEs, are expected to  benefit from  the relaxation of rules.  The hassle 
costs savings and the administrative costs savings are estimated, respectively, at EUR 600 and 900 million 
relative to the baseline, expressed as present value over the 2025-2050 period. 
The  preferred  policy  option  is  expected  to  lead  to  4,515  additional  (online)  training  courses  for  general 
practitioners in 2030 and 5,057 in 2050, relative to the baseline. The resulting adjustment costs for general 
practitioners are estimated at EUR 57.7 million relative to the baseline, expressed as present value over the 
2025-2050 period. 
Finally,  other  SMEs  to  be  affected  by  the  initiative  will  be  the  driving  schools  due  to  further 
harmonisation of the different categories of driving licences and updated rules for zero-emissions vehicles. 

Will there be significant impacts on national budgets and administrations?  

The preferred policy option  is  expected to  result in  adjustment costs for the Commission  for an amount 
between EUR 0.7 to  1.1 million  relative to  the baseline, expressed  as present  value over the 2025-2050 
period, for the establishment of an information  platform on physical  and mental  fitness  to  drive and the 
development of an (online) training programme for general practitioners.  
Adjustment  costs  for  Member  State  administrations  are  estimated  at  EUR  48.9  million  relative  to  the 
baseline,  expressed  as  present  value  over  the  2025-2050  period,  for  the  mobile  driving  licences  and  the 
update of driving tests. Additional EUR 14.3 million one-off adjustment costs are expected for the mobile 
driving licences and the improvement of RESPER for the purpose of enforcement. Finally, enforcement 
costs of EUR 26.3 million, relative to the baseline, expressed as present value over the 2025-2050 period, 
are expected for the cross-border enforcement of driving disqualifications. 

Will there be other significant impacts?  

The introduction of the EU mobile driving licence is expected to result in positive environmental impacts, 
estimated at approximatively 130 tons of plastic (polycarbonate) saved annually. 
The updated definition of vehicles for category B and the new rules related to automatic gear transmission 
are expected to facilitate the transition to zero-emissions vehicles.  
Finally, the increased harmonisation and the mutual recognition of driving disqualifications should make 
the treatment of EU residents more equal regarding driving licences.   

Proportionality 

The preferred policy option does not go beyond what is needed to achieve the objectives and address the 
identified problems.  

D. Follow up 

When will the policy be reviewed?  

No review is planned at this stage. 

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