Debate: Union-wide effect of certain driving disqualifications
Date: MONDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Adina-Ioana Vălean
Language: EN

As you know, this proposal is an integral part of the Road Safety Package, which the Commission adopted in March 2023, and it has close links to the Driving Licence Directive and the Directive on cross-border exchange of information on road-safety-related traffic offences. The legislative framework created by these three pieces of legislation should be seen as vital to getting closer to reaching our goal of zero fatalities or serious injuries on European roads by 2050. It will guarantee the high standards of skills and fitness of our drivers. It will also enable us to react in case certain individuals break the rules, putting themselves and other road users at risk. On that note, please allow me to ask a question: what is the main purpose of this proposal that we are discussing today? Of course, it is about driving disqualifications, but it is first and foremost about safety and fairness. When it comes to safety, the efficient enforcement of driving disqualifications has clearly shown that it is a strong deterrent against major road safety—related traffic offences. Studies suggest that efficient enforcement not only increases the compliance of drivers who get sanctioned, but also shows to the wider driver population the risks they are taking should they decide to breach the law. Secondly, let’s talk about fairness. Currently, for the same offence, a driver can be disqualified in the territory of the whole Union or simply in the territory of the Member State where the offence took place. This depends in which Member States his or her driving licence was issued. In the latter case, such a driver will be able to go to other Member States and continue driving as if nothing has happened. This situation is clearly unfair. Why should we keep allowing dangerous drivers on our roads? Putting an end to such unjustified differentiation of treatment would be the other core objective of our proposal. There are also other important elements of fairness in the text – the grounds for refusal. We should ensure that our proposal remains reasonable, focusing on the most severe offences, and takes into consideration the differences we have between road traffic rules in the Member States. At the same time, the proposal also establishes clear conditions under which Member States can refuse a request to disqualify a driver. For example, if the offence committed would not be sanctioned with a driver disqualification in the Member State which issued the driving licence, or in the event that there are doubts or evidence of a breach of fundamental rights of the driver. Our proposal also contains safeguards for ensuring drivers’ rights, in particular when it comes to access to information, defence and data protection. In conclusion, safety and fairness are the two elements that this proposal is all about. Ensuring safety by showcasing that everyone should respect the rules on the European roads and that no one enjoys impunity, should they breach those rules are very important as well. We also want to guarantee that offenders are treated on an equal footing. I look forward to an interesting debate, and I count on the adoption of your report tomorrow, as it will be as an important step to improve safety on the roads.