Each member state now has four years to transpose and implement the provisions approved last month by MEPs in Strasbourg, aimed at modernising procedures and improving road safety.

“Last year alone, 19,940 lives were lost on EU roads,” the European Commission stressed today in a statement.

The EU's goal is to halve road deaths and serious injuries by 2030, with a view to nearing their elimination by 2050.

The Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, quoted in the statement, argued that today represents "a major step forward" in modernizing the driver licensing system and reducing the "unacceptable number of road deaths" across the EU.

The new driver's licenses can be used throughout the European Union using mobile phones or other digital devices.

"After a short transition period, digital driver's licenses will be issued by default in all Member States. However, physical driver's licenses will remain available upon request, especially for those who do not have a smartphone or prefer or need a physical document," such as for travel to countries that do not recognize digital driver's licenses, the document specifies.

Safety measures

Among the safety measures, a probationary period of at least two years is foreseen for inexperienced drivers. On the other hand, the mutual recognition of disqualification to drive "will ensure that drivers who commit serious offenses are punished," regardless of whether they are driving inside or outside their country of origin, according to the same source.

To alleviate the shortage of professional drivers, the new rules allow 18-year-olds to obtain a truck driver's license (category C) and 21-year-olds a bus driver's license (category D), provided they hold a professional aptitude certificate. If they do not, you will need to be 21 and 24 years old, respectively, to drive these vehicles.

Regarding training, the driving test will now include knowledge of blind spot risks, driver assistance systems, safe door opening, and distraction risks from using a mobile phone.

The exchange of information between EU countries regarding the seizure, suspension, or restriction of a driver's license is also stipulated, with a view to preventing reckless driving abroad.