Members' Research Service By / June 23, 2023

Road safety: Rules on EU-wide driving disqualifications for major traffic offences [EU Legislation in Progress]

Improving road safety is one of the most important objectives of the European Union’s transport policy.

© Andrey Popov / Adobe Stock

Written by Monika Kiss (6th edition, updated on 27.11.2025).

On 1 March 2023, as part of the road safety package, the European Commission published a legislative proposal to help ensure EU-wide application of driving disqualifications. The proposal calls for increased cooperation, harmonisation of legislation, simplification of information exchange, capacity-building, and improved public awareness efforts. In order to prevent impunity due to a lack of legislation, the proposal sets out rules to allow better EU-wide enforcement of driver disqualification decisions when drivers commit major traffic offences outside their own country.

In the European Parliament, the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) is responsible for the file. The TRAN committee adopted its report on 29 November 2023. Interinstitutional negotiations started in October 2024, and a provisional agreement was found on 25 March 2025. The agreement was voted in plenary at second reading on 21 October 2025. The final act was signed on 22 October and published in the Official Journal on 5 November 2025.

Versions

Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Union-wide effect of certain driving disqualifications
Committee responsible:Transport and Tourism (TRAN)COM(2023) 128
1.3.2023
Rapporteur:Matteo Ricci (S&D, Italy)2023/0055(COD)
Shadow rapporteurs:Markus Ferber (EPP, Germany)
Roman Haider (PfE, Austria)
Carlo Ciccioli (ECR, Italy)
Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez (Renew, Spain)
Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA, Luxembourg)
Elena Kountoura (The Left, Greece)
Siegbert Frank Droese (ESN, Germany)
Ordinary legislative
procedure (COD) (Parliament
and Council on equal footing
– formerly ‘co-decision’)
Procedure completed.Directive (EU) 2025/2206
OJ L, 2025/2206, 5.11.2025


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