EU licence on the way.

DubTony

Just heard that the European Parliament passed legislation to introduce a single licence across the union. A credit card size (finally) with drivers info on the strip. No dates yet. Some proposal that over 45's will have to take a medical test.

Licence will be a ten year one for car and motorcycle drivers and 5 years for HGV's.

Tony

cormie

Does this have any implications on how long it will take me to get a test for a full license do you think? When are they to be introduced?

DubTony

Considering the legislation has just been passed, and the EU seems to be as slow as our lot about getting anything done, it could be decades. But in the grand scheme of all things European, that really doesn't matter.

As for driving tests? I doubt it will make any difference to our situation. I believe we are unique in that matter.

Tony

mackerski

DubTony wrote:

Just heard that the European Parliament passed legislation to introduce a single licence across the union. A credit card size (finally) with drivers info on the strip. No dates yet. Some proposal that over 45's will have to take a medical test.

There has been a credit-card sized version of the EU licence for some time now, that countries have the option to use. Germany and the UK have had them for a while now. Does this proposal alter the standard in any way or is it just a way of forcing the rest of us to adopt it?

Dermot

Silvera

What about my case where I have both a car and HGV licence (i.e. differing validity periods) ?

LFCFan

I don't know why Ireland can't just introduce Credit Card style Licenses anyway. In too many ways Ireland is so backward.

serotonin_sam

If this comes in, what would happen in an instance where a driver has been banned in one member state years ago but has moved to another member state and is driving there?

ie. would this thing be retroactive?

Calina

I don't see how that could happen unless someone holds more than one driving licence...I know that we had a German come look at a house to share with us who was planning to go to the county council and get a new licence in Ireland without the benefit of doing an Irish driving test - he didn't have his German licence any more because it had been taken off him due to a drink driving conviction. We told him they'd probably make him do a test at the very least if he didn't have a licence to exchange, or a statement from the German authorities that he was entitled to a fully qualified driving licence, and I assume there was no way he'd get the latter.

serotonin_sam

I don't see how that could happen unless someone holds more than one driving licence...

Well, what if the original license was irish, then driving offences commited in another member state - then the individual returns to ireland and has a second copy of original license issued.

Now, would that individual be liable for driving misdemeanours - which occurred a number of years ago in another member state - once this new license comes into effect (given that they have returned to ireland and reside there)?

murphaph

Very interesting point sam.Perhaps they'll stipulate that a ban previously enforced by a particular member state will still apply in that state only and to be caught driving in that state would result in your EU licence being taken from you completely. That would be a serious deterrent, no?

MrPudding

A bit more on this:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/01/eu_licence_card/

MrP

lomb

u cannot get another eu license on exchange without presenting the one from the other state this is then cancelled and sent back to the original state. the only way of legally holding 2 eu licenses is to sit a new provisional license in the new country and sit a test.the problem is when the original license lapses at 10 years say u cannot renew this unless ur resident in that country unless u 'lie'