European Parliament approves decision to revoke driving licenses for serious violations throughout the EU

The European Parliament has approved a position on the draft European directive, according to which penalties for serious traffic violations, including significant speeding or drunk driving, will be valid throughout the EU. This was reported by the press service of the institution, UNN reports.

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The European Union is introducing new rules that will make decisions to revoke a driver's license effective throughout the EU. All such decisions will have to be transferred to the EU member state that issued the driver's license, which will be responsible for their implementation.

Currently, many serious traffic violations committed in the EU go unpunished, as the decision to deprive a driver of the right to drive is only valid in the country that imposed the punishment. The EU member state in which the driver's license was issued usually does not deprive the driver of his or her license on the basis of a sentence imposed abroad.

According to the European Parliament, driver's licenses should be revoked for the following serious offenses: driving under the influence of alcohol, causing a fatal accident, and driving without a license. It is proposed to revoke a driver's license for exceeding the speed limit by more than 50 km/h on a highway or 30 km/h in a settlement.

The European Parliament believes that member states will have to inform other countries about the decision to revoke a driver's license within ten working days. Then, within 15 working days, a decision must be made whether the penalty should be applied throughout the EU. The final decision must be communicated to the offender within seven working days.

Coordination of the position with the EU Council, which consists of representatives of EU member states, will begin after the member states have developed their positions on the draft European Directive. Work on harmonizing the new rules will continue after the European Parliament elections in June 2024.

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In addition to the draft directive on serious traffic violations that result in the deprivation of the right to drive, a second legal act is being developed to exchange information on less serious traffic violations, including, inter alia, the transfer of information on fines for violations to other member states. The European Commission presented both initiatives jointly. The European Parliament's negotiations with the Council of the EU on the new rules on minor traffic violations are in their final stages, and the European Parliament expects them to enter into force next spring.