EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Brussels, 1.2.2017

COM(2017) 47 final

2017/0015(COD)

Proposal for a

DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

amending Directive 2003/59/EC on the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers of certain road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers and Directive 2006/126/EC on driving licences

(Text with EEA relevance)

{SWD(2017) 26 final}
{SWD(2017) 27 final}

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1.CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL

•Reasons for and objectives of the proposal

The evaluation also identified shortcomings that are hindering the effectiveness and consistency of the legal framework and undermining the original objectives of the Directive. These shortcomings are explained in section 3. 

•Consistency with existing policy provisions in the policy area

This Directive is an integral part of the general framework of EU legislation concerning professional drivers of trucks and buses. It is also closely linked to road safety, and works alongside other EU legislation, such as the Directive on driving licences 1 , the Directive on the transport of dangerous goods 2 and the rules on driving and resting times 3 . It also works alongside EU law on market access.

The evaluation identified several specific issues regarding consistency with other EU legislation. In this regard, the objective is to ensure the consistency of EU legislation.

Clarifying the mutual recognition of driver attestation for the purposes of the Directive would improve the internal consistency in the Directive between the provisions on the place of training and the administrative procedures for mutual recognition. Furthermore, it would improve consistency with Regulation 1072/2009, ensuring the mutual recognition of professional driver training, while also taking account of the recent evaluation of that Regulation.

•Consistency with other Union policies

The White Paper on the future of transport policy promotes environmental sustainability through its target to reduce CO2 transport emissions by 60 % by 2050. An even greater focus on training on fuel-efficient driving for professional drivers will reduce CO2 emissions and fuel costs.

2.LEGAL BASIS, SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY

•Legal basis

•Subsidiarity (for non-exclusive competence)

The EU shares competence with Member States to regulate in the field of transport pursuant to Article 4(2) (g) TFEU. The EU can only legislate as far as the Treaties allow it, with due consideration being accorded to the principles of necessity, subsidiarity and proportionality 5 .

Around 33% of all journeys made by heavy goods vehicles in the EU cross borders between Member States. Around 8 % of cross-border transport in the EU involves busses or coaches. These figures have been rising over the last few years.

The problem of the mutual recognition of periodic training followed in another Member State cannot be solved effectively by individual Member States acting alone. Although issuing driver qualification cards, as already provided for in the Directive, would resolve the situation, the current legislation makes this optional. Eight Member States have chosen not to use this option, despite the efforts made through the CPC (certificate of professional competence) committee to resolve the issue by non-legislative action. Thus, EU legislative action is necessary to ensure that administrative practices in the Member States enable the mutual recognition of training within the EU. Possible bilateral agreements between some Member States cannot effectively ensure mutual recognition EU-wide.

Different interpretations of the Directive and different practices applied by Member States negatively affect the functioning of the single market. Attempts already made to align understanding and application across Member States through non-legislative actions, such as issuing guidance notes or discussions at the CPC committee, have not yielded sufficient results. Only common EU rules can create a level playing field for road transport operators while ensuring a minimum level of road safety.

Furthermore, since specific training on dangerous goods, disability awareness and animal welfare are required by EU law, it is the EU’s role to provide legal clarity and ensure consistency between the different instruments of EU law.

As regards periodic training, some Member States have deviated from the safety objectives by allowing the same course module to be taken several times or offering a full training course that does not cover safety issues. While it is and should remain primarily for the Member States to adapt training to national needs and priorities, it is for the EU to ensure that the minimum level of training content is consistent with the overall policy objectives.

•Proportionality

As indicated in point 7 of the impact assessment report, the problems identified are best addressed at EU level in the form of an amended Directive that provides clarity on certain elements and sets out better harmonised minimum requirements, while still offering Member States some flexibility.

A revised Directive is a proportionate measure because it would enable further harmonisation of training requirements to resolve some of the issues while still leaving flexibility for Member States to adapt the implementation of parts of the training to their economic and social environment and to the specific needs and characteristics of its road transport sector.

•Choice of the instrument

3.RESULTS OF EX-POST EVALUATIONS, STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS

•Ex-post evaluations/fitness checks of existing legislation

The evaluation concluded that the Directive was implemented in the Member States without major problems; it has improved labour mobility and contributes to ensuring free movement of drivers. The evaluation furthermore confirmed that the Directive effectively contributes to its main objective of ensuring the road safety together with the legislation mentioned above.

Furthermore, while the ex-post evaluation showed that the Directive has, overall, had a positive effect on the sector, it also identified shortcomings that hinder the effectiveness and consistency of the legal framework and undermine the objectives of the Directive.

The main shortcomings identified were:

(1)difficulties for drivers to obtain recognition of completed/partially-completed training undergone in another Member State;

(2)content of the training only partially relevant for drivers' needs;

(3)difficulties and legal uncertainties in the interpretation of exemptions;

(4)inconsistencies in minimum age requirements between the Directive on the training of professional drivers (2003/59/EC) and the Directive on driving licences (2006/126/EC), ambiguity regarding the possibility to combine professional driver training with other training courses required under EU law (i.e. hazardous goods (ADR), passenger rights and animal welfare training), and the lack of clarity regarding the use of ICT in training courses (e.g. elearning/blended learning).

•Stakeholder consultations

Before the legislative proposal was drafted, stakeholder consultations were conducted to gather as many comments and suggestions as possible from the individuals and bodies concerned. This exercise complied with the minimum standards for the consultation of interested parties set out in the Commission Communication of 11 December 2002 (COM(2002) 704 final).

The consultation process included two types of actions – opinion gathering and data collection. Open and targeted consultation methods and various consultation tools were used.

As for the open consultation, an internet-based public consultation took place between 17 July and 25 October 2013. The Commission received 395 contributions, 203 respondents participated as private individuals 192 replied on behalf of institutions or interest representations. 58 respondents are registered in the Transparency Register of the European Parliament and of the European Commission.

Participants emphasised the importance of ongoing EU action in the field of qualifications and training for professional drivers. Stakeholders consider that the Directive contributed only insufficiently to achieving its objectives, namely increased road safety, developing the skills of professional drivers, driver mobility and the creation of a level playing field for drivers and businesses. Opinion was divided, however, on the concrete measures needed to address these difficulties.

The consultation paper, the contributions received, a summary of these contributions and the report on the stakeholder conference of 6 March 2014 are available on the website of the road safety unit of DG MOVE and on the “Your voice in Europe” website 6 .

The targeted consultation process included the following elements:

The Commission presented the initiative in the framework of the social dialogue with the road transport social partners on 24 June 2013 and with the urban public transport on 25 September 2013 7 . The main findings of the open public consultation were presented again to the road transport social partners on 25 April 2014. The key issues addressed in the proposal were presented to social partners on 19 November 2014. On that occasion, the social partners expressed their support for having legislation at EU level in this field and had no objections to the objectives proposed by the Commission.

On 6 March 2014 a hearing of stakeholders was held in Brussels with the participation of delegations from around 100 organisations representing haulage operators, passenger transport operators, workers, training providers and national administrations. The conference confirmed the findings of the open public consultation (see above). The report on the conference is available on the website of the road safety unit of DG MOVE.

On 23 January 2014 the Commission held an informal workshop with Member States to discuss minimum age requirements and the structure of the training in the context of a possible review of the Directive. At the meeting of the CPC committee on 23 October 2014 the last part of the meeting was dedicated to an informal discussion with Member States on how to improve mutual recognition. The CPC committee met again on the 9 October 2015, when the ongoing review of Directive was discussed. As regards mutual recognition of periodic training, the participants expressed concern about Member States applying different practices and generally saw the need for a harmonised approach. The importance of keeping the Directive up to date as regards technological progress was highlighted, as was the need for additional clarity on some aspects, such as e-learning.

A questionnaire was sent to Member State authorities in December 2013 in the course of the support study to collect detailed information on the implementation of the Directive. The questionnaires were distributed among the DG MOVE CPC committee members. In April 2014, a follow-up data request was sent to collect additional quantitative information on specific points relating to the Directive.

In addition, the contractor together with the European Transport Workers Federation (ETF) developed a questionnaire about possible barriers to the free movement of drivers. This questionnaire was submitted to the EU members of ETF in April 2014.

The results of the consultation showed a general agreement on the need to improve the implementation of the Directive without substantial changes to its content. There was support for a cost effective solution to the problem of mutual recognition; however, the views on the most suitable measures to achieve it were diverging. Stakeholders also agreed that training could be better adapted to the driver's needs. Vulnerable road users were considered to be one of the priorities for the road safety content of training by some stakeholders. The clarification of the exemptions and its alignment in the CPC Directive and working time rules were generally welcomed, but not a change in its scope. On the issue of minimum age, stakeholder's opinions differ, the industry and Member States being generally in favour of the proposed modification. The possibility to use ICT tools or to combine mandatory trainings was also generally welcomed.

•Collection and use of expertise

•Impact assessment

Given the independent nature of the three main problems identified, the Impact Assessment considers three sets of policy options according to three main fields of intervention: mutual recognition, training content, and legal clarity and consistency.

The preferred solution to ensure mutual recognition involves issuing driver qualification cards to foreigners. This solution was compared with the possibility of recognising training through the RESPER driving licence information system or a recognised certificate.

The preferred solution for addressing the training content is to strengthen content on road safety and fuel efficiency in the training courses and make it clear that it is possible to use elearning/blended learning in the training courses. For legal clarity and consistency, the preferred solution is to clarify the lower age limit that applies and the scope of exemptions and to spell out to the national authorities that the training can be combined with other training courses required under EU law. All policy measures were compared to a baseline scenario.

The preferred option corrects the existing problem of mutual recognition which could affect around 46 700 drivers (2016). Given the repetitive nature of the training, in the next 15 years the total number of such cases could reach 100 000. Strengthening training content will have a positive impact on road safety and fuel efficiency. Due to the complementary nature of the Directive to a number factors affecting road safety and fuel efficiency, the attributed expected effect are quite limited. The preferred option leads to consistent application of exemptions and minimum age to access the profession, which, as pointed out by the industry, could mitigate a growing shortage of drivers entering the profession.

•Regulatory fitness and simplification

The proposal is pursuing the following REFIT objective: By ensuring smoother administrative practices for mutual recognition administrative costs for business and administrations could be reduced. A revision would make it possible to resolve the issues related to mutual recognition at the lowest costs. This is estimated at EUR 6.3 million for the period of 2018 – 2030. This change will bring benefits to the industry in terms of the costs savings, which account over the period 2018 – 2030 for 2.3 million and 6.7 million euros for businesses and drivers respectively. Furthermore, it will make the training system more effective by revising the content of initial and periodic training to provide for further safety and environmental benefits. This will mitigate the transitional costs (in total EUR 14.1 million for 2018 – 2030) related to the change of the content.

A large share of transport businesses are microenterprises or small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). Overall, 65-95 % of companies in this sector have fewer than ten employees. The Directive does not exempt microenterprises or SMEs from its scope and they will be affected, primarily through simplification of the mutual recognition process, changes of the training content and the more consistent application of exemptions.

•Fundamental rights

4.BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS

5.OTHER ELEMENTS

•Implementation plans and monitoring, evaluation and reporting arrangements

•Explanatory documents (for directives)

•Detailed explanation of the specific provisions of the proposal

In addition to certain minor linguistic and editorial changes, as well as updates of reference to other EU legislation, the main elements of proposal are:

Article 2 of Directive 2003/59/EC – Exemptions

The wording of the exemptions is amended to make them clearer and consistent with those under Regulation (EC) 561/2006, as follows:

2(b) the amendment clarifies that the vehicles cannot be used for other purposes than the one they have been assigned as stated in the exemption. This means that e.g. if a fire truck is used as an attraction at a fun fair, the driver is not exempt. Adding this phrase also ensures consistency with the similar exemption in Article 3(c) of Regulation (EC) 561/2006.

2(d) the amendment clarifies that vehicles used for the non-commercial transport of humanitarian aid are also covered by the exemption when used in states of emergency or assigned to rescue missions; it ensures consistency with Article 3(d) of Regulation (EC) 561/2006.

2(e) two clarifications are made: firstly, that the vehicles can be used not only during driving lessons, but also during the driving examination; secondly, that the exemption covers driving solely for the purposes of training and instruction; it cannot be combined with commercial transport operations. These are consistent with similar exemptions under Articles 3(d) and 13(1)(g) of Regulation (EC) 561/2006 respectively.

2(f) the amendment clarifies that exempted non-commercial transport does not have to be for the ‘personal use’ of the driver (e.g. non-commercial transport for charities or non-profit organisations). This ensures consistency with similar exemptions under Articles 3(h) and 13(i) of Regulation (EC) 561/2006.

2(g) the word ‘machinery’ is added to clarify that also if the driver is carrying machinery to be used by the driver in the course of his or her work, the driver is covered by the exemption. It ensures consistency with a similar exemption under Article 3(aa) of Regulation (EC) 561/2006.

2(h) this exemption is intended for entrepreneurs within agricultural, horticultural, farming or fishery undertakings, who occasionally transport their products. This also ensures consistency with a similar exemption under Article 13(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) 561/2006.

Article 7 of Directive 2003/59/EC – Periodic training

The amendment results from the fact that the transition period in Article 4 has expired and that all holders of a CPC have to comply with the provisions on periodic training since 10 September 2016.

The new wording ensures that the periodic training includes at least one subject on road safety and that the same subjects are not repeated within the same training. It also provides that the training is relevant for the work carried out by the specific driver and that it is up to date and relevant.

Article 10 of Directive 2003/59/EC – Union code

Paragraph 1 is amended to include a reference to the harmonised code 95 which was included in Annex I to Directive 2006/126/EC.

The text is amended to ensure that all holders of a CPC are issued either with mutually recognised code 95 on their driving licence, or with a mutually recognised driver qualification card. This addresses mutual recognition difficulties when a driver obtains a CPC in a Member State which is not his place of normal residence and which issues only a code 95 on driving licences.

A reference is added to ensure the mutual recognition of the driver attestation provided for in Regulation (EU) 1072/2009, including if the relevant Union code is not marked on it.

Annex I to Directive 2003/59/EC – Minimum qualification and training requirements

The reference to Decision 85/368/EEC, which was repealed, is replaced with a reference to Recommendation 2008/C 111/01 and the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Since it is based on a recommendation, the EQF gives Member States more flexibility.

Section 1 is updated to:

better reflect the current state of technology and technical characteristics of vehicles, strengthen the focus on fuel efficient driving behaviour;

reinforce safe driving be including the ability to anticipate, assess and adapt to risks in traffic;

include references to the use of automatic transmission systems, to better reflect the current state of technology and the technical characteristics of vehicles;

include the transport of dangerous goods, animal transport and disability awareness to provide a more comprehensive list of subjects, taking into account the different types of carriage of goods and passengers by road.

Section 2 is amended to allow Member States to use ICT tools in training and allow them to combine the training object of the Directive with other forms of training required under EU legislation.

Annex II to Directive 2003/59/EC – Arrangements for the European Union model for a driver qualification card

The amendment of Annex II is limited to updates concerning the reference to the Union model driver qualification card and to take into account the reference to the harmonised Union code 95 provided in the Directive.

Article 4 of Directive 2006/126/EC – Categories, definitions and minimum ages

The aim of this amendment is to eliminate legal uncertainty as regards the applicable minimum age requirements for certain vehicle categories, and provide for a harmonised EU-wide application of minimum ages.

References to Directive 2003/59/EC are deleted in Article 4(4)(e), (g), (i) and (k), and a new paragraph 7 is inserted in Article 4 of Directive 2006/126/EC with a clear reference to when and under which conditions the lower minimum ages provided under Directive 2003/59/EC apply.

2017/0015 (COD)

Proposal for a

DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

amending Directive 2003/59/EC on the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers of certain road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers and Directive 2006/126/EC on driving licences

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 91 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee 9 ,

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions 10 ,

Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure,

Whereas:

(1)In its White Paper of 28 March 2011 11 the Commission sets out a 'vision zero' objective in which the Union should move close to zero fatalities in road transport by 2050.

(2)The Commission, in its Communication on policy orientations on road safety for 2011-2020 12 , proposed to further halve the overall number of road fatalities in the Union by 2020, starting from 2010. With a view to reaching this goal, the Commission laid down seven strategic objectives, including improving the education and training of road users and the protection of vulnerable road users.

(3)Having evaluated the implementation of Directive 2003/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council 13 , the Commission identified a number of shortcomings. The main shortcomings identified were difficulties and legal uncertainty in the interpretation of exemptions; the content of the training, which was found to be only partially relevant for drivers' needs; difficulties for drivers in obtaining mutual recognition of completed or partially completed training undergone in another Member State; and inconsistencies of minimum age requirements between Directive 2003/59/EC and Directive 2006/126/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council 14 .

(4)In order to improve legal clarity in Directive 2003/59/EC all references to repealed or replaced Union acts should be removed or amended.

(5)In order to provide certainty and consistency with other Union acts , a number of changes should be made to the exemptions to Directive 2003/59/EC, taking into account similar exemptions under Regulation (EC) 561/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council 15 .

(6)Taking into account developments in training and education, and in order to enhance the contribution of Directive 2003/59/EC to road safety and the relevance of training for drivers, subjects relating to road safety, such as hazard perception, the protection of vulnerable road users, and fuel-efficient driving should be strengthened in the training courses.

(7)Member States should be provided with a clear option to improve and modernise training practices with the use of ICT tools, such as e-learning and blended learning, for part of the training, while ensuring the quality of the training.

(8)To ensure consistency between the different forms of training required under Union law, Member States should be provided with the possibility to combine different types of relevant training, such as training on the transport of dangerous goods, on disability awareness or on animal transport, with the training provided for in Directive 2003/59/EC.

(9)To prevent differing practices between Member States from impeding mutual recognition and restricting the right of drivers to undergo the periodic training in the Member State where they work, Member State authorities should be required to issue the relevant document that will ensure mutual recognition for every driver who fulfils the requirements of Directive 2003/59/EC.

(10)In order to provide legal clarity and ensure harmonised minimum age requirements for the purposes laid down in Directive 2003/59/EC, a clear derogation should be provided in Directive 2006/126/EC, stipulating that driving licences may be issued at the minimum ages provided for in Directive 2003/59/EC.

(11)Since the objective of this Directive, namely the improvement of the EU-wide standard of initial qualification and periodic training for drivers of certain road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States but can rather, by reason of the cross-border nature of road transport and of the issues this Directive is intended to address, be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Directive does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives.

(12)Directives 2003/59/EC and 2006/126/EC should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Article 1

Directive 2003/59/EC is amended as follows:

(1)in the second paragraph of Article 1, the first and second indents are replaced by the following:

" — vehicles for which a driving licence of category C1, C1+E, C or C+E, as defined in Directive 2006/126/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council(*), or a driving licence recognised as equivalent, is required,

— vehicles for which a driving licence of category D1, D1+E, D or D+E, as defined in Directive 2006/126/EC, or a driving licence recognised as equivalent, is required. ______

(*) Directive 2006/126/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on driving licences (OJ L 403, 30.12.2006, p. 18).";

(2)Article 2 is amended as follows:

(a)point (b) is replaced by the following:

"(b) vehicles used by, or under the control of, the armed forces, civil defence, the fire service and forces responsible for maintaining public order when the carriage is undertaken as a consequence of the tasks assigned to those services;";

(b)points (d) to (g) are replaced by the following:

"(d) vehicles used in states of emergency or assigned to rescue missions, including vehicles used in the non-commercial transport of humanitarian aid;";

(e) vehicles used for driving instruction and examination for any person wishing to obtain a driving licence or a CPC, in accordance with Article 6 and Article 8(1), provided that they are not being used for the commercial carriage of goods and passengers;

(f) vehicles used for non-commercial carriage of passengers or goods;

(g) vehicles carrying material, equipment or machinery to be used by the drivers in the course of their work, provided that driving the vehicles is not the drivers' principal activity;";

(c)the following point (h) is added:

"(h) vehicles used, or hired without a driver, by agricultural, horticultural, forestry, farming or fishery undertakings for carrying goods as part of their own entrepreneurial activity, provided that driving the vehicle is not the driver's principal activity.";

(3)Article 7 is amended as follows:

(a)the first paragraph is replaced by the following:

"Periodic training shall consist of training to enable holders of a CPC to update the knowledge which is essential for their work, with specific emphasis on road safety and the rationalisation of fuel consumption.";

(b)the third paragraph is replaced by the following:

"Periodic training shall be designed to expand on, and to revise, some of the subjects referred in section 1 of Annex I. It shall always include at least one road safety related subject and shall cover a variety of subjects. The training subjects shall take into account training needs specific to the transport operations carried out by the driver and developments in the relevant legislation and technology.";

(4)in Article 9, the first paragraph is replaced by the following:

"Drivers referred to in point (a) of Article 1 shall obtain the initial qualification referred to in Article 5 in the Member State in which they have their normal residence, as defined in Article 12 of Directive 2006/126/EC.";

(5)Article 10 is replaced by the following:

"Article 10

Union code

1. On the basis of the CPC referred to in Article 6 and the CPC referred to in Article 8(1), Member States' competent authorities shall mark, taking into account the provisions of Article 5(2) and (3) and Article 8, the harmonised European Union code 95 provided for in Annex I to Directive 2006/126/EC alongside the corresponding categories of licence:

–either on the driving licence,

–or on the driver qualification card drawn up in accordance with the model shown in Annex II.

If the Union code cannot be marked on the driving licence, the competent authorities of the Member State where the CPC was obtained shall issue the driver with a driver qualification card.

The driver qualification card issued by a Member State shall be mutually recognised. When the card is issued, the competent authorities shall check the validity of the driving licence number of which is mentioned on the card.

2. (a) A driver referred to in point (b) of Article 1 who drives vehicles used for the carriage of goods by road shall prove that he or she has the qualification and training provided for in this Directive by means of the driver attestation provided for in Regulation (EU) No 1072/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council(*). That driver attestation shall be mutually recognised for the purposes of this Directive, even if the relevant Union code was not marked upon it.

(b) A driver referred to in point (b) of Article 1 who drives vehicles used for the carriage of passengers by road shall prove that he or she has the qualification and training provided for in this Directive by means of one of the following:

–the Union code marked on the Union model driving licence, where he or she is the holder of such a licence,

–the driver qualification card provided for in Annex II, marked with the relevant Union code,

–a national certificate whose validity on their territory is mutually recognised by the Member States.

____________

(*) Regulation (EU) No 1072/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 on common rules for access to the international road haulage market (OJ L 300, 14.11.2009, p. 72).";

(6)Annexes I and II are amended in accordance with the Annex to this Directive.

Article 2

Article 4 of Directive 2006/126/EC is amended as follows:

(1)paragraph 4 is amended as follows:

(a)in point (e), the third indent is replaced by the following:

"— the minimum age for categories C1 and C1E is fixed at 18 years;";

(b)in point (g), the second indent is replaced by the following:

"— the minimum age for categories C and CE is fixed at 21 years;";

(c)in point (i), the second indent is replaced by the following:

"— the minimum age for categories D1 and D1E is fixed at 21 years;";

(d)in point (k), the second indent is replaced by the following:

"— the minimum age for categories D and DE is fixed at 24 years;";

(2)the following paragraph 7 is added:

"7. By way of derogation from the minimum ages laid down in points (g), (i) and (k) of Article 4(4) of this Directive, the minimum age for issuing a driving licence in category C, CE, D1, D1E, D or DE shall be the minimum age prescribed for the driving of such vehicles for holders of a CPC laid down in Article 5(2), the first paragraph of Article 5(3)(a)(i), the first paragraph of Article 5(3)(a)(ii) or point (b) of Article 5(3) of Directive 2003/59/EC respectively.

Where in accordance with the second paragraph of Article 5(3)(a)(i) or the second paragraph of Article 5(3)(a)(ii) of Directive 2003/59/EC a Member State authorises driving within its territory from a lower age, the driving licence shall only be valid on the territory of the issuing Member State until the licence holder has reached the relevant minimum age referred to in the first paragraph of this Article and holds a CPC.".

Article 3

1.Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by [OP: please insert the DATE calculated 18 months following the entry into force] at the latest. They shall forthwith communicate to the Commission the text of those provisions.

When Member 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 text of the main provisions of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.

Article 4

This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Article 5

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels,

(1) Directive 2006/126/EC on driving licences.

(2) Directive 2008/68/EC on the inland transport of dangerous goods.

(3) Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 on the harmonisation of certain social legislation on road transport.

(4) Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union [2010] OJ C 83/47.

(5) Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union [2008] OJ C 115/13, Art 5(3) and (4).

(6) Please see http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/take-part/public-consultations/cpc_en.htm and http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/events-archive/2014_03_06_cpc_review_en.htm

(7) http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=521&langId=en&agreementId=5365

(8) Ex-post evaluation study report: Study on the effectiveness and improvement of the EU legislative framework on training of professional drivers, Panteia et al. (2014); http://ec.europa.eu/transport/facts-fundings/evaluations/doc/2014_ex_post_evaluation_study_training_drivers_en.pdf

(9) OJ C , , p. .

(10) OJ C , , p. .

(11) White Paper of 28 March 2011 ‘Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area – Towards a competitive and resource efficient transport system' (COM(2011) 144 final).

(12) Communication on 'Towards a European road safety area: policy orientations on road safety for 2011-2020' (COM (2010) 389 final)

(13) Directive 2003/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 July 2003 on the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers of certain road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers, amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 3820/85 and Council Directive 91/439/EEC and repealing Council Directive 76/914/EEC (OJ L 226, 10.9.2003, p. 4).

(14) Directive 2006/126/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on driving licences (OJ L 403, 30.12.2006, p. 18).

(15) Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2006 on the harmonisation of certain social legislation relating to road transport and amending Council Regulations (EEC) No 3821/85 and (EC) No 2135/98 and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 3820/85 (OJ L 102, 11.4.2006, p. 1).

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Brussels, 1.2.2017

COM(2017) 47 final

ANNEX

to the

DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

amending Directive 2003/59/EC on the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers of certain road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers and Directive 2006/126/EC on driving licences

{SWD(2017) 26 final}
{SWD(2017) 27 final}

ANNEX

to the

DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

amending Directive 2003/59/EC on the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers of certain road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers and Directive 2006/126/EC on driving licences

Annexes I and II are amended as follows:

(1)Annex I is amended as follows:

(a)Section 1 is amended as follows:

(a)the second paragraph is replaced by the following:

"The minimum level of qualification shall be comparable at least to level 2 of the European Qualifications Framework as provided for in Annex II to Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council 2008/C 111/01(*).

_____

(*) Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2008 on the establishment of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning (OJ C 111, 6.5.2008, p. 1).";

(b)point 1.2 is replaced by the following:

"1.2. Objective: to know the technical characteristics and operation of the safety controls in order to control the vehicle, minimise wear and tear and prevent disfunctioning:

limits to the use of brakes and retarder, combined use of brakes and retarder, making better use of speed and gear ratio, making use of vehicle inertia, using ways of slowing down and braking on downhill stretches, action in the event of failure, use of electronic and mechanical devices such as Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Advanced Emergency Braking Systems (AEBS), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), traction control systems (TCS) and in vehicle monitoring systems (IVMS) and other, approved for use, driver assistance or automation devices.";

(c)in point 1.3, the second paragraph is replaced by the following:

"optimisation of fuel consumption by applying know-how as regards points 1.1 and 1.2, importance of anticipating traffic flow, appropriate distance and use of the vehicles momentum, steady speed, smooth driving style and appropriate tyre pressure.";

(d)the following point 1.3a is inserted before the heading 'Licences C, C+E, C1, C1+E':

"1.3a. Objective: ability to anticipate, assess and adapt to risks in traffic:

to be aware of and adapt to different road, traffic and weather conditions, anticipate forthcoming events, adapt to the risks of traffic and recognise and adapt to dangerous situations, in particular related to size and weight of the vehicles and vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and powered two wheelers;

identify possible hazardous situations and properly interpret how these potentially hazardous situations may turn into situations where crashes can no longer be averted and selecting and implementing actions that increase the safety margins to such an extent that a crash can still be averted in case the potential hazards should occur.";

(e)point 1.4 is replaced by the following:

"1.4. Objective: ability to load the vehicle with due regard for safety rules and proper vehicle use:

forces affecting vehicles in motion, use of gearbox ratios according to vehicle load and road profile, use of automatic transmission systems, calculation of payload of vehicle or assembly, calculation of total volume, load distribution, consequences of overloading the axle, vehicle stability and centre of gravity, types of packaging and pallets;

main categories of goods needing securing, clamping and securing techniques, use of securing straps, checking of securing devices, use of handling equipment, placing and removal of tarpaulins.";

(f)point 1.6 is replaced by the following:

"1.6. Objective: ability to load the vehicle with due regard for safety rules and proper vehicle use:

forces affecting vehicles in motion, use of gearbox-ratios according to vehicle load and road profile, use of automatic transmission systems, calculation of payload of vehicle or assembly, load distribution, consequences of overloading the axle, vehicle stability and centre of gravity.";

(g)in point 2.1, the second paragraph is replaced by the following:

"maximum working periods specific to the transport industry; principles, application and consequences of Regulations (EC) No 561/2006(*) and (EU) No 165/2014(**) of the European Parliament and of the Council; penalties for failure to use, improper use of and tampering with the tachograph; knowledge of the social environment of road transport: rights and duties of drivers as regards initial qualification and periodic training.

________

(*) Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2006 on the harmonisation of certain social legislation relating to road transport and amending Council Regulations (EEC) No 3821/85 and (EC) No 2135/98 and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 3820/85 (OJ L 102, 11.4.2006, p. 1).

(**) Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 February 2014 on tachographs in road transport, repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 3821/85 on recording equipment in road transport and amending Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the harmonisation of certain social legislation relating to road transport (OJ L 60, 28.2.2014, p. 1).";

(h)in point 3.7, the second paragraph is replaced by the following:

"road transport in relation to other modes of transport (competition, shippers), different road transport activities (transport for hire or reward, own account, auxiliary transport activities), organisation of the main types of transport company and auxiliary transport activities, different transport specialisations (road tanker, controlled temperature, dangerous goods, animal transport, etc.), changes in the industry (diversification of services provided, rail-road, subcontracting, etc.).";

(i)in point 3.8, the second paragraph is replaced by the following:

"carriage of passengers by road in relation to other modes of passenger transport (rail, private car), different activities involving the carriage of passengers by road, disability awareness, crossing borders (international transport), organisation of the main types of companies for the carriage of passengers by road.";

(b)Section 2 is amended as follows:

(a)point 2.1 is replaced by the following:

"2.1. Option combining both course attendance and a test

Initial qualification must include the teaching of all subjects in the list under section 1. The duration of this initial qualification must be 280 hours.

Each trainee driver must drive for at least 20 hours individually in a vehicle of the category concerned which meets at least the requirements for test vehicles as set out in Directive 2006/126/EC.

When driving individually, the trainee driver must be accompanied by an instructor, employed by an approved training centre. Each driver may drive for a maximum of eight hours of the 20 hours of individual driving on special terrain or on a top-of-the-range simulator so as to assess training in rational driving based on safety regulations, in particular with regard to vehicle handling in different road conditions and the way they change with different atmospheric conditions, the time of day or night, and the ability to optimise fuel consumption.

Member States may allow the training partly to be done by means of information and communication technology tools, such as e-learning, while ensuring the proper quality of the training, and may count specific training required under other Union legislation as part of the training. This includes, but is not restricted to, training required under Directive 2008/68/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council(*) for driving of dangerous goods, training on disability awareness under Regulation (EU) 181/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council(**) and training on animal transport under Council Regulation (EC) 1/2005(***).

For the drivers referred to in Article 5(5) the length of the initial qualification must be 70 hours, including five hours of individual driving.

At the end of that training, Member States' competent authorities or the entity designated by them shall give the driver a written or oral test. The test must include at least one question on each of the objectives in the list of subjects under section 1.

_________

(*) Directive 2008/68/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 2008 on the inland transport of dangerous goods (OJ L 260, 30.9.2008, p. 13).

(**) Regulation (EU) No 181/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 concerning the rights of passengers in bus and coach transport and amending Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 1).

(***) Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 of 22 December 2004 on the protection of animals during transport and related operations and amending Directives 64/432/EEC and 93/119/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1255/97 (OJ L 3, 5.1.2005, p. 1).";

(b)in point 2.2(b), the second paragraph is replaced by the following:

"The vehicle used for the practical test must meet at least the requirements for test vehicles as defined in Directive 2006/126/EC.";

(c)Sections 3 and 4 are replaced by the following:

"Section 3: Accelerated initial qualification provided for in Article 3(2)

Accelerated initial qualification must include the teaching of all subjects in the list in section 1. Its duration must be 140 hours.

Each trainee must drive for at least 10 hours individually in a vehicle of the category concerned which meets at least the requirements for test vehicles as set out in Directive 2006/126/EC.

When driving individually, the trainee driver must be accompanied by an instructor, employed by an approved training centre. Each driver may drive for a maximum of four hours of the 10 hours of individual driving on special terrain or on a top-of-the-range simulator so as to assess training in rational driving based on safety regulations, in particular with regard to vehicle handling in different road conditions and the way they change with different atmospheric conditions, the time of day or night, and the ability to optimise fuel consumption.

The provisions of the fourth paragraph of point 2.1 shall also apply to the accelerated initial qualification.

For the drivers referred to in Article 5(5) the length of the accelerated initial qualification must be 35 hours, including two-and-a-half hours of individual driving.

At the end of that training, Member States' competent authorities or the entity designated by them shall give the driver a written or oral test. The test must include at least one question on each of the objectives in the list of subjects under section 1.

Section 4: Compulsory periodic training provided for in point (b) of Article 3(1)

Compulsory periodic training courses must be organised by an approved training centre. Their duration must be of 35 hours every five years, given in periods of at least seven hours. Such periodic training may be provided, in part, on top-of-the-range simulators and by use of information and communication technology tools such as e-learning, while ensuring the quality of the training. At least one of the seven hour periods shall cover a road safety related subject. The content of the training shall take into account training needs specific to the transport operations carried out by the driver and relevant legal and technological developments. The seven hour periods shall cover different subjects.

Completed specific training as required under other Union legislation may count as one of the seven hour periods. This includes, but is not restricted to, training required under Directive 2008/68/EC for driving of dangerous goods, training on animal transport under Regulation (EC) 1/2005, and for the carriage of passengers training on disability awareness under Regulation (EU) 181/2011.";

(2)Annex II is amended as follows:

(a)the title is replaced by the following:

"ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION MODEL FOR A DRIVER QUALIFICATION CARD";

(b)Section 2 concerning side 1 of the driver qualification card is amended as follows:

(a)in point (d), point (9) is replaced by the following:

"9. the categories of vehicles for which the driver satisfies the initial qualification and periodic training requirements;";

(b)in point (e), the first paragraph is replaced by the following:

"the title ‘European Union model’ in the language or languages of the Member State issuing the card and the heading ‘driver qualification card’ in the other official languages of the Union, printed in blue so as to form the background to the card:";

(c)in point (a) of Section 2 concerning side 2 of the driver qualification card, points (9) and (10) are replaced by the following:

"9. the categories of vehicles for which the driver satisfies the initial qualification and periodic training requirements;

10. the harmonised European Union code 95 provided for in Annex I to Directive 2006/126/EC".