EU: Last day of consultation on the roadworthiness package

 

Today marks the final day of the public consultation on the EU Roadworthiness Package. Vehicle roadworthiness inspections are crucial not only for ensuring road safety but also for maintaining vehicles’ environmental performance throughout their lifespan. As vehicles in the EU become increasingly complex due to technological and regulatory advancements, inspection systems must evolve accordingly. This initiative seeks to modernize inspection methods and strengthen the exchange of vehicle roadworthiness data across the EU to better support enforcement of safety standards.

The importance of road transport in the EU cannot be overstated.  It plays a key role in connecting people, goods, and businesses, thus driving trade, economic growth, and employment. However, road transport also contributes to serious societal issues such as traffic accidents and air pollution.

Road crashes remain one of the most serious consequences of road transport. They impose significant costs on society. Most crashes are caused by human factors such as speeding, driving under the influence, distraction, and fatigue. Infrastructure issues—like slippery roads, poor markings, or inadequate maintenance—also contribute. While vehicle defects account for only a small proportion of crashes in the EU, thanks to robust type-approval regulations and inspection regimes, such defects can still result in preventable accidents. The Safe System approach emphasizes that road safety depends on the combined performance of all elements: road users, vehicles, infrastructure, and emergency response systems.

This initiative builds on the existing 2014 Roadworthiness Package (RWP), which comprises three key directives:

• Directive 2014/45/EU on periodic roadworthiness tests: Requires regular inspections of vehicles used on public roads, including cars, vans, buses, trucks, heavy trailers, high-speed tractors, and since 2022, larger two- and three-wheelers and quadricycles.
• Directive 2014/47/EU on roadside technical inspections: Applies to heavy passenger and freight vehicles and their trailers, aiming to ensure ongoing compliance with safety and environmental standards through random roadside checks.
• Directive 2014/46/EU on vehicle registration documents: Establishes rules for maintaining and updating vehicle registration records.

These directives complement the EU’s type-approval regulations, which ensure vehicles meet safety and environmental requirements before entering the market. While market surveillance focuses on manufacturers and a limited number of vehicles, the RWP targets ongoing compliance by vehicle owners and applies to nearly all registered vehicles throughout their use. Thus, the RWP plays a vital role in supporting long-term road safety and environmental performance.

Despite these efforts, challenges remain.
Unsafe vehicles continue to circulate, even with the introduction of active safety technologies and intelligent driver assistance systems. Furthermore, the 2014 RWP does not effectively address issues related to cross-border enforcement or the cross-border trade in vehicles.

To address these gaps, the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy called for updates to the roadworthiness framework to ensure lifetime compliance with safety and emissions standards. This aligns with the EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021–2030 and supports the objectives of the European Green Deal.

Key objectives of this new initiative include:

• Enhancing road safety and supporting sustainable mobility across the EU;
• Facilitating the free movement of people and goods;
• Unlocking the full potential of the roadworthiness framework by improving digital storage and exchange of vehicle identification and status data;
• Increasing mutual recognition of data across Member States;
• Detecting and preventing odometer tampering through better accuracy and data sharing.

In short, this initiative seeks to modernize the EU’s vehicle inspection framework, close enforcement gaps, and ensure that vehicles remain safe and environmentally sound throughout their entire lifecycle.

To find out more about the EU vehicle regulations, please do not hesitate to contact the Institute for Global Automotive Regulatory Research.