New agreement: No additional conditions for obtaining the license.
The European Union countries reached an agreement on reforming driving license rules in Europe after lengthy negotiations that extended until Tuesday night.
One of the key points in this agreement is the rejection of the European Commission's proposal to conduct mandatory health checks for elderly driving license holders. The new agreement, reached between the European Parliament and EU countries, does not impose such a measure. However, each country is allowed to choose whether to require a medical examination when renewing the license or not to do so.
Driving licenses will be valid for 15 years, after which they can be renewed under conditions that vary from country to country. As for passing the driving test, applicants in all EU countries will be required to undergo a medical examination or fill out a self-health questionnaire.
The reforms also include the launch of a digital driving license by 2030, which can be used via smartphones, along with the option to request a paper version. The reforms also establish, for the first time, a unified trial period for all new drivers in EU countries lasting two years.
Despite the agreement, it is still necessary for the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union to approve the final changes. For her part, MEP Sophia Kircher, spokesperson for the ÖVP (Austrian People's Party) in the European Parliament, expressed her satisfaction, confirming that the negotiations succeeded in avoiding the imposition of new complex conditions for obtaining or retaining driving licenses, especially those related to medical examinations that would have led to the revocation of licenses from some drivers.