Activites

• 1997/06/07 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Directive 1997/26
  • OJ L 150 07.06.1997, p. 0041
• #2011
• 1997/06/02 Council Meeting
• 1997/06/02 End of procedure in Parliament
• 1997/06/02 Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
• 1997/04/09 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T4-0144/1997 summary

    The European Parliament approved the common position amending Directive 91/439/EEC on driving licences. The amendments contained in the draft recommendation for second reading by Mr Gipo FARASSINO (NI, I) did not received the qualified majority necessary for amending the Council text. The amendments concerned inter alia mutual recognition by Member States of decisions on the suspension and withdrawal of driving licences. �

• 1997/04/08 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament summary

    The rapporteur regretted that the Council had taken over only two out of the eight amendments adopted at first reading. He had therefore re-tabled the two main amendments which the Council had not accepted as they sought to extend the principle of mutual recognition of driving licences by Member States to include their suspension or withdrawal. Mutual recognition of this type of penalty was a key element in ensuring the free movement of persons within the European Union. Commissioner Bangemann said that, although a driving ban in the country of residence should be valid in other EU countries, the extension of this same penalty ordered in a country other than the country of residence could create legal and constitutional problems in the latter.

• 1997/03/18 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
  • A4-0087/1997
• 1997/01/30 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #1983
• 1996/12/20 Council Meeting
  • 11847/1/1996 summary

    The common position of the Council concerning the modification of the 1991 directive on driving licences takes into account the two amendments adopted by the European Parliament at first reading and incorporated by the Commission in its amended proposal. It should be noted that by comparison with the Commission proposal, the common position: - alters the type of committee appointed to assist the Commission in adapting the annexes of Directive 91/439/EEC (type IIIa, while the Commission had provided for a type IIb committee); - confirms the mandate of the new committee on driving licences with regard to annexes II and III of Directive 91/439/EEC; nevertheless limits the competence of this committee in respect of annexes I and Ia, to the definition of codes and sub-codes as well as the facultative or obligatory character of using certain harmonized sub-codes; - sets, as in the case for motorcycles, the maximum design speed of three-wheeled motor vehicles and quadricycles at 45 km/h instead of 50 km/h, in line with the dispositions of Directive 92/61/EEC. �

• 1996/11/06 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(1996)0556 summary

    The Commission's modified proposal amending the 1991 directive on driving licences has incorporated in total or in part 2 of the 18 European Parliament amendments. They seek to: - add to the text a reference to the sub-codes; - supplement the harmonized codes 02 (communication aid) and 03 (for the limbs), to make these references more specific, and for the codes 70 and 71 to add a reference to the list of ECE/UN symbols for third countries, the symbols of Member States having already been specified in annexes 1 and 1a of directive 91/439/EEC; - add a code 79 to cover cases of equivalence between categories of licence issued before the date of implementation of directive 91/439/EEC (1 July 1979) and the categories defined in Article 3 of the directive. The use of code 79 would be limited to the possible maintenance of acquired rights by holders of a licence obtained before 1 July 1996. However, the Commission has not accepted the amendments concerning in particular: the addition of a recital concerning the code of conduct concluded between Parliament and the Council; the setting up of a European penalty points driving licence system; the mutual recognition of decisions to suspend or withdraw driving licences; the inclusion of medical standards for driving; the introduction of a universal code 00, without a definition; the composition and working method of the management committee. �

• 1996/09/05 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0436/1996 summary

    The European Parliament adopted the report by Mr Giuseppe FARASSINO (ELDR, I) on the amendment of Directive 91/439/EEC (in force since 1 July 1996) on a European driving licence. Its prime request was extension of the principle of mutual recognition of driving licences by Member States to the suspension and withdrawal of licences. This would mean that suspension or withdrawal of a driving licence in the Member State where the offence is committed would have legal effect throughout the Community and would be notified to the competent authority of the Member State that delivered the driving licence in question. Parliament also asked: - for a universal 00 code for specific information to be entered on the driving licence and limit dates for definition of subdivision of the codes; - the Commission to present a proposal for the introduction of a European penalty points driving licence system; - that the driving licence should be issued or renewed in the case of applicants or drivers with diabetes where there are no existing complications. �

• 1996/09/04 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament summary

    In presenting his report Mr G. Farassino (ELDR, I), while approving the Commission’s proposal, introduced a number of amendments aimed at clarifying certain references to the harmonised codes. He also wanted to see the management committee replaced by a technical committee that would play a more flexible, consultative role. He called on the Commission to set up a working group charged with putting in place a European penalty points driving licence system, with a view to a legislative proposal being submitted by 31 March 1997. This would mean extending the directive on the mutual recognition of licences to cover cases where the licences were suspended or withdrawn. Commissioner Kinnock supported the proposals for adopting and revising the harmonised codes and for introducing a set of sub-codes. However, he could not accept that part of Amendment No 5 that related to a universal code nor the deadlines for the definition of sub-codes; he also rejected Amendments Nos 4 and 7, which exceeded the scope of the proposal and were bound to encounter problems of a constitutional nature, since the mutual recognition of restrictions on the use of the driving licence implied a certain level of judicial cooperation between Member States, something that currently came under the third pillar of the Maastricht Treaty. Finally, he rejected Amendment No 3 as being inappropriate and Amendment No 6, relating to the committee, as it failed to comply with the decision on comitology.

• #1937
• 1996/06/18 Council Meeting
  • 1937
• 1996/06/18 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0206/1996
• 1996/03/28 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 1996/02/20 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(1996)0055 summary

    OBJECTIVE: the proposal for a directive is aimed at defining a harmonized set of codes for the information to be entered in national driving licences based on the Community model. The aim is to make it easier to understand and thus reciprocally to recognize licences during intra-Community travel. SUBSTANCE: the Commission proposal: - amends Annexes I and I bis to Directive 91/439/EEC (which defines the Community models for driving licences) by introducing harmonized codes; - proposes that a committee be set up for the adaptation to technical and scientific progress of Annexes I, II and III of Directive 91/439/EEC; - aligns the definition of the term 'motorcycle' with that of Directive 92/61/EEC on the type approval of two and three-wheel motor vehicles; - provides that the harmonized set of codes may be introduced with effect from 1 July 1996, the date of entry into force of Directive 91/439/EEC. �

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(1996)0055
• Debate in Council: 1937
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A4-0206/1996
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0436/1996
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(1996)0556
• Council position published: 11847/1/1996
• Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A4-0087/1997
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T4-0144/1997
• : Directive 1997/26
• : OJ L 150 07.06.1997, p. 0041

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)