What changed between the draft committee report of 19 Jul 2023 and the draft committee report of 6 Oct 2025

Removed:Annex II – Part I – point B – point 8 – point 3 – paragraph 1 – point i: (i) entering and alighting from the vehicle, including making sure that it is safe to open the vehicle door and that this will not create a hazard for other road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and micro-mobility users.

Removed:Annex II – Part I – point B – point 8 – point 4 – point a: (a) driving in such a way as to ensure safety and to reduce fuel/energy consumption and emissions during acceleration, deceleration, uphill and downhill driving, distance to the vehicle in front; curve overtaking, change of lane, priority rules, speed limits;

Removed:Annex II – Part I – point B – point 8 – point 4 – point b: (b) reacting and anticipating to hazardous situations, including using simulators

Removed:Annex II – Part I – point B – point 9 – point 1 – paragraph 2: Driving examiners shall be trained to assess correctly the applicants’ ability to drive safely. The work of driving examiners shall be monitored and supervised, by an independent body authorised by the Member State, to ensure correct and consistent application of fault assessment in accordance with the standards laid down in this Annex.

Removed:Annex II – Part I – point B – point 9 – point 3 – point a: (a) controls the vehicle; taking into account: proper use of safety belts, modern safety and driving aids, rear-view mirrors, head restraints; seat; proper use of lights and other equipment; proper use of clutch, gearbox, accelerator, braking systems (including third braking system, if available), steering; controlling the vehicle under different circumstances, at different speeds; steadiness on the road; the weight and dimensions and characteristics of the vehicle; the weight and type of load (categories BE, C, CE, C1, C1E, DE, D1E only); the comfort of the passengers (categories D, DE, D1, D1E only) (no fast acceleration, smoothly driving and no hard braking);

Removed:Annex II – Part I – point B – point 9 – point 3 – point b: (b) drives economically and in a safe and energy-efficient way, taking into account the revolutions per minute, changing gears, braking and accelerating and uses intrinsic in-vehicle driving and/or safety aids (categories B, BE, C, CE, C1, C1E, D, DE, D1, D1E only);

Removed:Annex II – Part I – point B – point 9 – point 3 – point c: (c) complies with observation rules: all-round observation; proper use of mirrors and new technologies; far, middle, near distance vision;

Removed:Annex II – Part I – point B – point 9 – point 3 – point j: (j) controls braking and stopping: decelerating in time, braking or stopping according to circumstances; anticipation; using the various braking systems (only for categories C, CE, D, DE); using speed reduction systems other than the brakes and use of in-vehicle technologies (only for categories C, CE, D, DE).

Removed:Annex II – Part I – point B – point 10 – paragraph 1: The length of the test and the distance travelled shall be sufficient to assess the skills and behaviour laid down in title B of this Annex. In no circumstances shall the time spent driving on the road be less than 25 minutes for categories A, A1, A2, B, B+, B1 and BE and 45 minutes for the other categories. This shall not include the reception of the applicant, the preparation of the vehicle, the technical check of the vehicle with a bearing on road safety, the special manoeuvres and the announcement of the outcome of the practical test.

Removed:Annex II – Part II – paragraph 1 – indent 7: – have sufficient knowledge of risk factors related to cyclists, pedestrians and micro mobility users;

Removed:Annex II – Part II – paragraph 2: Member States shall adopt and implement appropriate measures to ensure that drivers who have lost the knowledge, skills and behaviour as described under points 1 to 9 can recover this knowledge and those skills and will continue to exhibit such behaviour required for driving a power-driven vehicle.

Removed:Annex III – point 1 – point 3: (3) National legislation shall provide for the provisions set out in this Annex for Group 2 drivers to apply to drivers of Category B vehicles using their driving licence for professional purposes (taxis, ambulances, etc.).

Removed:Annex III – point 3 – paragraph 1: deleted

Removed:Annex III – point 3 – paragraph 2: The applicants shall be required to undergo a medical examination when the necessary formalities are being completed or during the tests which they have to undergo prior to obtaining a driving licence.

Removed:Annex III – point 6 – paragraph 1: All applicants for a driving licence and for its renewal shall undergo an appropriate investigation to ensure that they have adequate visual acuity, measured by means of a validated visual acuity chart, and field of vision for driving power-driven vehicles. Where there is reason to doubt that the applicant’s vision is adequate, he/she should be examined by a competent medical authority or by a qualified eye-care professional authorised by national law. At this examination attention shall be paid, in particular, to the following: visual acuity, field of vision, twilight vision, glare and contrast sensitivity, diplopia and other visual functions that can compromise safe driving.

Removed:Annex III – point 6 – paragraph 2: For group 1 drivers, licensing may be considered in ‘exceptional individual cases’ where the visual field standard or visual acuity standard cannot be met but there are reasons to believe that the issuance of a driving licence for the applicant would not impair road safety; in such cases the driver shall undergo examination by a competent medical authority, or by a qualified eye-care professional authorised by national law, to demonstrate that there is no other impairment of visual function, including glare, contrast sensitivity and twilight vision. The driver or applicant shall also be subject to a positive practical test conducted by a competent authority.

Removed:Annex III – point 6 – paragraph 3 – point 1 – paragraph 1: Applicants for a driving licence or for the renewal of such a licence shall have a binocular visual acuity, with corrective lenses if necessary, of at least 0,5 (decimal notation) when using both eyes together. / (This is an horizontal amendment applying throughout the text)

Removed:Annex III – point 6 – paragraph 3 – point 2: (2) Applicants for a driving licence, or for the renewal of such a licence, who have total functional loss of vision in one eye or who use only one eye (for instance in the case of diplopia) shall have a visual acuity of at least 0,5 (decimal notation), with corrective lenses if necessary. The competent medical authority shall certify that this condition of monocular vision has existed for a sufficiently long time to allow adaptation and that the field of vision in this eye meets the requirement laid down in point 6.(1).

Removed:Annex III – point 6 – paragraph 4 – point 4 – paragraph 1: Applicants for a driving licence or for the renewal of such a licence shall have a visual acuity, with corrective lenses if necessary, of at least 0,8 (decimal notation) in the better eye and at least 0,1 (decimal notation) in the worse eye. If corrective lenses are used to attain the values of 0,8 and 0,1, the minimum acuity (0,8 and 0,1) shall be achieved either by correction by means of glasses with a power not exceeding plus eight dioptres, or with the aid of contact lenses. The correction must be well tolerated.

Removed:Annex III – point 13 – paragraph 2 – point 1 – point a: (a) severe mental, cognitive or behavioural impairment, whether congenital or due to disease, trauma or neurosurgical operations;

Removed:Annex III – point 13 – paragraph 2 – point 1 – point c: (c) personality impairments leading to seriously impaired judgment, behaviour or adaptability,

Removed:Annex IV – Part 1 – point 3 – point g a (new): (ga) knowledge of vulnerability of non-motorised users;

Removed:Annex IV – Part 2 – point 1 – introductory part: (1) A category B and B+ driving examiner:

Removed:Annex IV – Part 2 – point 1 – point d: (d) shall have terminated a vocational education that leads at least to a completion of level 5 as set out in the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED)97 ;

Removed:Annex IV – Part 2 – point 2 – point d: (d) shall have terminated a vocational education that leads at least to a completion of level 5 as set out in the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED);

Removed:Annex IV – Part 4 – point 1 – point e: (e) The work of driving examination shall be monitored and supervised by an independent body authorised by the Member State, to ensure correct and consistent application of assessment.

Removed:Annex IV – Part 4 – point 2 – point a – point i – indent 1: — maintain and refresh the necessary knowledge, examining and communication skills;

Removed:Annex IV – Part 5 – point 1: (1) Member States may allow persons authorised to conduct driving tests immediately before the entry into force of this Directive to continue to conduct driving tests, notwithstanding that they were not authorised in accordance with the general conditions in point 2 or the initial qualification process set out in point 3.

Removed:Annex V – point 4 – paragraph 2: The length of the test and the distance travelled shall be sufficient ( at least 25 minutes) to assess the skills and behaviour laid down in point 3.

Removed:Annex VI – point 4 – paragraph 2: The length of the test and the distance travelled must be sufficient (at least 25 minutes) to assess the skills and behaviour laid down in point 3 of this Annex.

Removed:Annex VI a (new): Annex VIa / Minimum requirements regarding training and instructors. / MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR TRAINING / 1. Member States shall take the necessary measures to approve and supervise the minimum theoretical and practical training provided for in Article 10(1), point (a). / The duration of theoretical driver training for category B shall be at least 10 hours, of which at least half of physical attendance. The driver training shall cover the knowledge, skills and behaviour as described in points 2 and 7 of Annex II, include the higher levels of the Goals for a Driver Education (GDE) Matrix including goals and context for driving, and pay particular attention and ensure the completion of the following: / (a) essential circulation rules and road safety elements, including the use of seat belts and/or other protective equipment; / (b) safe interaction with vulnerable road users; / (c) first aid; / (d) eco-driving; / 2. The duration of the practical driver training for category B and B+ shall be at least seven hours. / 3. A practical component shall include the following exercises: acceleration, deceleration, reversing, braking, lane-changing, ecodriving, parking, overtaking and safely disembarking the vehicle with due consideration of vulnerable road users. / MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONS WHO CONDUCT DRIVING INSTRUCTION / 1. Competences required by a driving instructor / (1) A person authorised to conduct theoretical, as well as practical instruction in a power-driven vehicle o…